Seven Days Survivor: The Golden
by Jon-Berry
Summary: Peaceful Days are over for Midori Komaki as the existence of the Television world causes her to return to habits she had two years ago. And this time, she must take the role of teacher and leader. Fourth Act in the Seven Days Survivor series.
1. 13 April 2011 to 14 April 2011

**13 April 2011  
** **Dojima Residence  
** **Evening**

Yu was unconcerned when it seemed like his erstwhile cousin didn't show up for supper. He still had the resolution to talk to Yosuke tomorrow to try and figure out what the whole deal was, but for now, he sat with his Uncle and his daughter at the kitchen table while the news played in the background, the talking heads all nattering about the Politician, the Enka Singer and the other Newscaster and the torrid relationship that seems to have led to murder.

"How was your day?" Ryotaro asked politely as he passed the rice around. Yu wasn't ready to properly cook yet, given that he was still a visitor in the house and the position of cook was taken up by Midori-san.

"Not bad," Yu said. "Aside from a certain topic of discussion." He had no need to elaborate given that Nanako was still unaware of what had happened that caused her Daddy to have to work triply hard.

"Good. People who know you live here?" Ryotaro pointed at him with his chopsticks, "they may try to get information out of you regarding the investigation. You can tell them that I'm not telling you anything, and then tell me who it was so I can get someone to straighten them out."

"That's a problem?" Yu served himself some of the store-bought curry, then moved to ladle a bit onto Nanako's plate.

"I hope not," the detective admitted, "But I want you to know where you stand in that regard, for your own protection."

"Must be very stressful..." Yu replied as he finished.

"It is," Ryotaro admitted. "And once again, I'm sorry you have to go through this."

"That's alright. As long as you calm down when the going gets rough, I think you'll be fine." He tried to be supportive of his uncle, but could only offer the most vague of assurances given their distance.

"Thanks. I will." He turned to his daughter. "And how was your day at school, Nanako?"

"The teachers were sad," she replied as she worked her spoon into the food in front of her. "I thought school was supposed to be _fun_."

The looks shared between Yu and Ryotaro at that was something that didn't need a familial relationship to understand.

 **The Foggy Central Shopping District**

Midori fell back from Adachi's body, trying to process and ignore what had happened at the same time. Her mind scrambling for purchase even as her feet found it, she knew that Saki had seen it all. Saki needed her help. She could still save her.

"Saki?" She turned away from Adachi, hands still on her weapon and Frosty's card. "Saki? It's alright. You're safe."

Saki was curled up in a ball in the far corner of the room. Midori stumbled her way over there, legs refusing to work properly. She could hear Saki sobbing, wanting to go home. "Saki?"

"Leave me alone!" Her classmate cried out. "Stay away from me!"

"I can't," Midori said far more calmly than she felt. She had to project an aura of total confidence and everything that came with that for her sake. "Come on, we have to go." She reached out a hand for her, but it still held Frosty. Withdrawing it to put the card away in a pocket, she offered it again. "Come on. Please?"

"What did you do?"

There were so many answers to that question, Midori didn't know which one to answer first. So she went with the most obvious to her, or so she hoped. "I beat him up so we can escape," she lied about his condition. She had seen enough dead people to recognize them. "Come on."

Saki raised her head to look at Midori's open face. She saw nothing but kindness, which was in total opposition to the moments she dared peak into the fight. She wanted to reject her, to curl up and hope the nightmare went away, but she couldn't. In desperation, she had called for help, and Midori came for her, where no one and nothing else could. She reached out and took her hand.

Midori hauled her friend up with a strong pull, then started to lead her out of the room they were in, back toward the front of the store and away from Adachi. "Don't look," she said. "It isn't pretty."

"Is he going to be alright?"

No, Midori knew. But she couldn't say that. "Eventually. But not now. We need to go."

"Go where?" Saki didn't quite stumble as Midori led her with conviction. "I... _what is this place_? What were those... those... _things_ you... you!"

They reached the front door and Midori pulled it open, revealing the fog-covered District. "It's a long story," she said to delay the explanation. "We got in through a television, right?"

"Tell me!" Saki pleaded even as she refused to let go of the strong hand that led her through this place. "Please! You have to!"

Midori stopped in the middle of the street. "No... I." She deflated. "I want to say that I don't, but that's wrong." She looked around. "Television, television... There should be one in the Textile shop," She started pulling again, keeping an eye out for movement in the fog. Saki also mentioned a thing with her face, and Midori wasn't about to drop her guard.

"Midori... what's going on?"

She had to say something. There was no getting out of that. "Alright. Alright. You deserve something." She rehashed in her head what she told Nanako months ago in order to keep her story staright. "I'm a Magical Girl."

"Those aren't real!" Saki replied, not without fear. Out of confusion. Midori understood that. There were some things that were just too impossible to understand at first.

They reached the other side of the street, and angled for Tatsumi Textiles. "I would take offense to that one, but the shows on television are like daytime dramas. Not exactly connected to reality." She felt her hand shake, and couldn't tell if it was her or Saki doing it. It was best then, to keep talking.

"I'm a Magical Girl for almost two years now," She pushed open the front door to the textile shop, then swore. It was empty. But they still had to look further back. Maybe there was something in a back room?

"You see, there are things called Shadows that exist in dark corners of the world, places like where dust just accumulates? Hidden corners? And there are people with a power called Persona who can fight them when they become a danger."

"That doesn't make sense!" Saki let herself be led further into the empty shop. "How can that be real?"

"I don't know all the details myself," Midori said, "but normally Shadows are just passive things, like spiders or snakes. You don't hurt them, they don't hurt you. Something has to get them riled up to do anything."

She tried to open the door leading back into the small living room she knew was right there, but the door refused to budge. She hit it with her wrench, but it just bounced off. "Damn," she muttered. "No luck. Whatever made this place is missing a lot of stuff."

It was like a set, she decided. A television set. Which made a perverse amount of sense given how she remembered getting in and out. "So, let's see, Personas... they're a power humans can use to fight Shadows. Frosty is my Persona."

"Was that that thing...?" Saki followed Midori out of the store, where they stopped. She saw Midori look around, trying to see through the fog. "That thing? It was scary..."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Midori still held Saki's hand for comfort as she turned around. "I'm told he's scary, but I've never seen it. Felt it. I guess because he's part of me, I can't be afraid of myself."

"Are there others?" She thought about the fight. "The thing the police officer tried to use..."

"Was a Persona, yes." Midori admitted. "Sometimes people get it into their head that their power makes them special and above the reproach of society." She couldn't remember who described Jin and Takaya like that, but it seemed right.

"What is this place?" Saki asked, feeling that as long as Midori was supplying the answers, she wouldn't have to think too hard about what was going on.

"It's a closed space with variant physics," Midori recited. "That's the technical description. It's like in those shows where the bad guys summon up a dark world, or something like that? Well, this is one of them."

Saki didn't say anything as Midori led them at a slow pace down the hill, staying on their side of the road.

"Saki?"

"Yes?"

"You mentioned that 'she had your face'. If there's someone or something else in here, I need to know."

Saki responded by pulling herself closer to Midori, seeking a strength she did not have. "I saw it. It looks like me," she said in a hushed whisper. "It was before you came, and it seemed like it was...w waiting..."

Midori had a horrific thought. If it looked like Saki, was it possible that the girl holding her wasn't Saki? "Are you sure it wasn't just your imagination?" She asked as she comforted her friend. "I mean, this place is confusing enough as it is."

"No, she's real," Saki admitted. "She's coming for me."

 **Dojima Residence, Yu's Room  
** **Late Night** **  
**

It was raining, and the fog was rolling in, a weather pattern that Yu had seen before, and as such, it held nothing for him.

"The Midnight Channel, huh?" He asked to no one in the room. "What harm could it do?"

He closed the curtains and turned off the lights, waiting for the stroke of midnight to come. He didn't expect anything from an Urban Legend (Rural Legend? It was a small town...), but it felt nice just doing something like that for once.

Then the television turned itself on.

" _Leave her alone!" a familiar voice said. The camera, such as it was, moved around as though it were dodging, "She's not for you!"_

 _A second figure appeared behind the first, and she was screaming._

Yu reached out and touched the television screen, an impulse that he found no source for. And when he did, his arm started to be pulled in! Before he had a chance to recover, he was pulled in up to his shoulder, where he stopped, his body far too large for the small screen. With an effort, he pulled himself free against the force trying to drag him in when it all stopped, and he fell back.

"What the hell!"

 **The Foggy Central Shopping District**

"I'm tired," Saki said as they finished searching everywhere for a television they could use. "Midori...?"

She felt it too, but Midori refused to back down, to bend before this effort. "Come on, we'll sleep in the shrine." She had no idea how long they were here, but it felt like hours.

"But!"

"No!" Midori stopped her friend from confronting her over this. "The shrine is a safe place! And you need to rest, and so should I." They quickly crossed over into the small protected area where the ever present fog seemed a little less thick and oppressive. "See?"

Saki sagged, the strength leaving her, and forcing Midori to hold her up. "Sure, let's just sleep."

Midori half-carried her friend to the shrine itself, and set her down in the area behind the fake donation box. Even as Saki collapsed from an exhaustion more mental than physical, Midoi looked up and whispered a plea. "Hey Fox? If you can hear me, I could really use some help right now."

There was no answer, and Midori accepted that. She took off her jacket, and laid it over the snoozing Saki, even as her own body wanted to kneel over and rest. It was like the Dark Hour all over again, but this time she had spent far more than a mere hour in it so far.

Instead of giving in and joining Saki in the hidden privacy of the shrine, she patrolled the outer edge of the shrine, paying careful attention to the single entrance at the front. There was nothing, and certainly no sign of any Shadows or Saki's mysterious other-her.

She returned to the shrine and sat on the donation box, letting the uncomfortable feeling keep her focused.

But even that wasn't enough, and she fell asleep between one yawn and the next.

 **14 April 2011  
** **Yasogami High-School, Class 2-2  
** **Morning**

"Hey, Yosuke!" Yu greeted his classmate as they both sat down..

"Dude! Did you see the Midnight Channel?" The brown-haired boy leaned in to whisper. "What was up with that?"

"Are you talking about the Channel?" Chie spoke up from where she sat with Yukiko. "Freaky is what it was."

"I thought it was supposed to reveal your destined soulmate," Yosuke said, ignoring her, "And I'm pretty sure I'm a one-girl kinda guy."

"Yeah, that was weird," Chie interrupted again. "I mean, what?"

Yu nodded, although this was not the conversation he wanted to have with Yosuke, it was what he was getting. "I see," he said. "Look, I saw it too. Two girls, one fighting to protect the other."

Yosuke agreed. "Wasn't romantic at all."

"Well, whatever. It was probably a pirate broadcast or something," Chie said as she bit into her meal. "It couldn't be real."

"My television was unplugged," Yu said. "And something else happened that we weird."

"What do you mean, 'weird'?" Yosuke replied.

Yu explained what happened the night previous, and Yosuke was the first to respond. "You sure, dude? I mean, poor signal is one thing, but _sticking your arm into the television_? That's just... You sure you weren't dreaming?"

Yu shook his head and was about to reply when the door to the class opened. In walked the Student Council President. "Narukami Yu?"

"Here!" Yu stood up, and the President came over.

"I apologize for interrupting," Dan said with a slight bow to smooth over the imposition, "but I must ask – have you, being her cousin, heard from Midori today? She is not in class."

"No," Yu said. "She wasn't at our uncle's place last night, and I haven't been to her place."

Dan took this in without a reaction. "Thank you," he said finally and left.

"What was that about?" Yukiko said for the first time. "Did something happen?"

"I don't know," Yu wondered aloud. He remembered his uncle's warning, but could not see how the two were connected.

 **Somewhere Foggy**

Midori woke to a pain in her elbow. She looked around, confused at the fog before her memories kicked in. Then before she could do anything more than remember that she shouldn't be here, her elbow spoke up again, this time reminding her that she had hurt it yesterday and now it was time to recuperate.

With a gasp, she cradled her arm with her other one, and checked the injured part. It was a bit swollen, and definitely bruised. "Oh great," she muttered. "Another week without practice." With that bit of frivolity out of the way, she looked around, still not seeing much through the fog.

Which, if anything, was worse, because she was absolutely certain that the fog wasn't this thick yesterday. She couldn't even see the edge of the fake-shrine they were in.

Behind her, she could see Saki sleeping still, curled up in a ball against the donation box. Midori made a mental note to thank the Fox and Amane for this after they got out.

Deciding to let her friend sleep as long as she wanted, Midori stood up to stretch her legs and move around a bit, including flexing her elbow to check its range of motion.

It wasn't great, and she could really use an icepack for it right now. But that wasn't an option, so instead she walked around a bit, careful to keep the shrine in sight. There was still nothing. No sounds save the ones she made on this false stage, and no signs of anything else.

Returning to the shrine, she knelt down and gently poked Saki. "Wakey-wakey!" she sang out like she was talking to a child, not to her equal in age. "Come on, it's time to get up and find a television to get out."

Saki moaned before swatting away Midori's finger. But the younger of the two would have none of that and poked Saki in the cheek again. "Wake up!"

Doing just that, Midori kept herself smiling and the first thing that Saki saw as she opened her eyes. She wasn't about to risk her friend panicking more than she would naturally and doing something stupid like running off. Midori wasn't in the mood to go chasing after her.

And if she got lost in the fog, she had no idea if they could find each other again.

"Midori? Where?"

"Still in the other place, I'm afraid. I went looking for a television earlier," she lied gently, "but couldn't find one. I think we need to step outside what this place is."

"Huh?" Saki apparently didn't get any rest last night. "I thought..."

"Sorry," Midori let her friend down gently. "Not a dream. Which I suppose also makes it not a nightmare either." She reached down to lift Saki up into a standing position. "Stay near me, and watch behind us." Midori offered a hand to hold, knowing full well how physical contact could keep people from bolting.

"Are you sure you can get us home?"

"Well," Midori ran the scenario through her head. "Worst case is we are stuck here until Saturday, I miss my weekly call to a friend. She finds out I've gone missing for a couple days, comes here on Sunday and finds us then."

"How would she find us?" Saki took Midori's hand and held tightly, squeezing tensely.

"She will have her ways," Midori said with a smile. "Besides, Aigis isn't the kind of girl to give up so easy." She didn't feel bad name-dropping her friend, but it gave her hope that rescue was coming, they just had to make it. And Midori would make sure that they did reach that point, no matter what.

"I hope you're right," Saki said, pulling close.

 **Yasoinaba Police Station  
** **Afternoon** **  
**

"Has anyone seen Adachi?" Ryotaro asked out loud as he slammed the old phone on his desk back into its cradle. "He isn't answering."

There was a round of negative responses before the Chief Detective came over to his desk. "Detective Dojima?"

"Yes, sir?" Ryotaro stood at attention before his boss. "How may I help you?"

"Locate your partner," the aged mad said. "It reflects poorly on you and the department as a whole with his absence while this case is still open."

Dojima nodded, not letting the implications get to him. "I will head over to his place now," he said. "And I will deal with him and his lapse in professionalism when I find him."

"Good," the chief replied. "I am told that he was last seen here in the station yesterday evening interviewing the witness who found the body. Your niece came by to pick her up, and they went home."

Ryotaro nodded. "Of course. I'll contact Midori after school to have her confirm that."

"Of course," the chief replied. "Now go, and find your junior partner and remind him to take his duties seriously."

"I will," Ryotaro growled.

 **Somewhere Foggy**

It was just the street, and none of the buildings on it had backs to them either. Outside of the false shopping district was a flat plain filled with an impenetrable wall of fog. Midori cursed and glared at it. She wanted to send Frosty out to explore, but had no idea how to get him to relay that information back to her. Sure, he could follow instructions, but she had no idea how to phrase them properly.

And there was still the possibility of being attacked while here. She and Saki needed the protection he provided.

"There's nothing," Saki worried out loud. "No way out!"

Midori responded by looking up at the indistinct light coming through the fog. It must have been her imagination, but the stage metaphor came back when she thought she saw grids in the sky that held lights.

She shook her head of those musings, and returned to the real world. Well, as real as possible.

"No, we got in. We may have just missed it." Midori tried to be reassuring, but didn't feel it. "Come on, we should check again."

 **After School**

"Hey, Yosuke!" Yu called out to his classmate as they headed for the front door. "You got a minute?"

"Sure, man!" The lanky youth stopped to change his shoes. "Can't stay long though, got to head to work. Someone skipped their shift, and I gotta cover." He did well to hide his annoyance at this turn of events, but Yu was perceptive enough to see it.

"Eh, you know what? It's not that important." Yu delayed the conversation again. "I'll see about talking to you tomorrow."

"Sure, man." Yosuke finished tying up his shoes, and headed for the door, his bicycle and another few hours of work.

Yu switched his shoes, then decided to head back to Dojima's place as well. Maybe his cousin simply caught the flu or something? He knew there was a spare key to her place in the front hall, so he could borrow that and check up on her.


	2. 14 April 2011

**Somewhere Foggy**

They rested in the shadow of the shrine again, hours of searching fruitless.

"I wanna go home," Saki whispered as she looked at the ground between her knees. "Why can't I go home?"

Midori didn't answer, instead watching the front entrance should anything enter. As the hours advanced, she had started to feel like someone was watching them, and that feeling had spread to Saki who reacted badly, thinking that it was 'her' that had come to follow them.

So they retreated to the shrine, where the one way in could be monitored.

"We'll get there," Midori finally said, reaching out to put a hand on her friend's shoulder. It was easy to be the dependable one when there was nothing to fight, save a nagging feeling in the back of her head. "I'll protect you, so you can trust me on that."

Her elbow was still stiff and sore, so she refused to move it more than she had to.

"How long have you been in one of these?" Saki asked.

"Ehh, usually no more than an hour at a time." Midori shrugged, making it sound quite ordinary. "I mean, one of my friends spent... eleven...? Eleven hours in one, and she was alright." Well, Fuuka apparently spent days in the Dark Hour, but did that really count when it only existed for an hour each day?

Thankfully Saki didn't pry into anything Midori said, and she entertained the thought that Saki thought she was lying when she was telling the truth. Then she dismissed it as thinking badly of her. And she wouldn't do that.

A charge in the air brought her back to attending the world around her rather than the one in her head. She hopped off the donation box and summoned Frosty before grabbing her wrench. It was as fake as everything else here, but it still held weight in her hands. It would do.

Saki noticed Midori's actions, and looked up. "What is it?"

"I don't know yet," Midori said, eyes scanning for any motion, any sound. "Stay down, and out of sight."

"Alright." She returned to behind the donation box, and covered her head with her hands.

"Is that right?" Saki said from Midori's right, and she spun around, her awareness telling her that there were two of them here. Midori raised her weapon, and twisted to hide her weak side. "Really? You'll protect her?" There was a bitterness in the voice that refused to hide. "Why don't you leave me alone with her?"

Saki – the one that had stayed by her side, and thus Midori identified as 'real', scampered out from behind the donation box and ran to put Midori between her and the thing that looked like her.

And truth be told, Midori could not see any difference physically. They were the same height, wore the same clothes...

But they were not. Midori could see that in the movements. In the way the thing in front of her walked, in the way it talked, in the look of its eyes. It wasn't human.

"What are you?" She asked, even as she felt stupid for doing so.

"I'm Saki!" it replied, leaning in. "Leave me alone!"

"No." Midori said, holding her ground. She would not yield. "Answer the question, if you can."

"I'm her!" the false-Saki said with a giggle. "Can't you tell?"

"I've seen enough to know when something is a person, and when something is only pretending to be one." Midori snapped, not wanting to verbally spar with it.

"That hurts! And you call yourself my friend?" Fake-Saki retorted. "Look at you, pretending to be the hero!"

Midori didn't respond, even as Saki cringed.

"I don't need a hero! I'm better than that coward behind you." The fake-Saki didn't come closer, Frosty having maneuvered to be between it and Midori under the latter's mental nudging. "Get out of the way, bitch!"

She didn't flinch at the insult. It would take more than that. "Leave her alone," Midori said evenly. "I will protect her, because I promised."

It laughed. High and haughty. "Oh, that's just rich!" The Saki behind her cringed at the sound. "Just like you, you know. She doesn't think that."

"Right. And how would you know?" Midori was annoyed that it wasn't answering her question, but talking meant not fighting and that meant Saki was still safe.

"Because I'm her!" It said.

"No! You're not!" The real Saki said, gripping Midori's shirt far too tightly for her to move should the fighting start.

The other thing seemed energized at the rejection, a grin growing on its face, it's eyes taking on a golden hue. "Yes, I am. Look at you! You can't even stand on your own. Where I can!"

"Shut up!" Saki pleaded. "Shut up!"

"Or what?"

Saki didn't have a response. But Midori did. "Or I'll beat you." She was reminded of Metis in this false-Saki, except that Aigis' shadow was more patient, less aggressive when dealing with her origin. "Why the rush?" She added with a grin. "Got somewhere to be?"

False-Saki frowned, but did not come closer. "Get out of the way. This is between me and her. And when I'm done, it'll just be me."

Midori recognized the threat and felt her heart race. With her injured arm, she nudged Saki back, hoping she would let go enough for her to move freely. "Oh come on, really? You think you can beat me?"

She snarled. "I don't need you!" Then the fake advanced, pushing up against the boundary that Frosty set. "You know what I'm going to do when I get out of here? I'm going to _move_. I'm going to leave this shit town behind." It grinned, far too wide, "I'm going to move in with my boyfriend from the city, and I won't ever have to _hear_ the name Yasoinaba again!"

Standing her ground, Midori refused to waver, even as the Saki behind her shrunk under the verbal barrage. "How do you...?", she muttered, just loud enough for Midori and the fake to hear.

"I'm you! Are you stupid? Stop hiding already!" It tried to step around Midori and her Persona, but they rotated to keep protecting Saki.

"Leave me alone!" The real Saki said, and Midori echoed the sentiment, even as she watched the fake's eyes become more and more golden.

It was not good. They had to get out, and away from this thing. It took a full team to beat down Metis – and until proven otherwise, Midori was going to treat this in exactly the same manner – and that meant running. She was not going to fight something like that by herself. And it also meant that Saki was a Persona user, but that thought was so far down the list of things that needed looking at that she promptly forgot about it.

Except no amount of force could put down Metis. It took Aigis admitting she was in the wrong before it went away and became her restored Athena.

Which was confusing in of itself, but Midori knew where she had to start. "Why don't you apologize!" She said as calmly as she could, clamping down on her racing feelings and wearing the mask that best suited being a peacemaker between two people at school. "You do that, and we can sort everything out."

"Get out of our way!" The golden-eyed Saki said, whipping a hand through the air between them. "You're just getting in my way! You keep forcing yourself in where you're not wanted! Leave me alone!"

"No." Midori said firmly to both Saki's. "I can't. I won't." He arm was getting tired, holding the tool at length like that. She suppressed a shake. "So go ahead. Go through me, if you can. But you'll get what you want if all you do is _talk_."

She wondered what Saki's Persona would look like when this was all done. Then wondered if this meant she would have to let Aigis know. But that was a thought for later. She had to focus on the here and now. Get the conversation to the point she could take better control of things.

"Talk, talk, talk!" The Fake said as it tried to push closer, but was rebuffed. "Come out from behind her and we can _talk_."

"She can do that just fine from there," Midori said as she gave a little bit of space to her right, allowing the Fake to move in that direction, and got them closer to the entrance to the shrine. The plan to run away was still viable if talking it down wasn't.

"Leave me alone!" The real Saki said, even as Midori tried to shield her. "Stop saying those things!"

"Oh, but I can't!" the Fake responded. "You think them too, you know! You can't hide from them! From me!"

"SHUT UP!" Saki screamed, almost ripping Midori's shirt in the process, pressing her cheek against her back. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"

Talking was out, and Saki was in no condition to run. She was frozen, and Midori couldn't get her moving fast enough, even as every scream just made the Shadow-Saki stronger. It seemed to make her larger, but Midori wasn't sure it was just her imagination.

It looked more and more like a fight was inevitable, but Midori wasn't certain if she should strike first, or wait for it to make the first move. And she couldn't relax until that happened. She wanted to go ahead and commit to the action, but that part of her was young, inexperienced, and not ready for fights like this.

She was older, wiser, and much better at not jumping at her enemies screaming 'Magical Justice!'

She still wanted to bash in the Shadow's head.

Midori recognized that the exit was now behind them, and she started to fall back, pushing against Saki as she did so. She hoped her friend would take the suggestion to heart.

But she didn't. Saki was rooted in fear, with this thing's words reaching into her. "Saki?"

"She knows," the Fake said. "You can't deny it."

Midori sagged. So much for avoiding starting anything. "You should know," she said, "I've dealt with your kind before. I beat her down too." Anything to buy more time.

The Shadow frowned, and for a moment, Midori could have sworn something Demonic lurked behind those golden eyes. But it was just her imagination as the Fake-Saki snarled, shedding a bit of its humanity in the process. "GET AWAY!" It yelled, and swung a fist at her. "She's MINE!"

There was the attack, and Midori was ready for it, much more prepared to deal with this than she was the day before.

She pushed those thoughts out of her head, they were only going to distract her as she wrenched herself out of Saki's grasp, swinging around to dodge the awkward strike.

It completely ignored Frosty, all of its attention on Midori and as such, Saki's Shadow was caught off guard when the little Persona shot a jet of Agi into the air, and into the Shadow. It fell back, seeing Frosty as an actual threat now.

Saki screamed, unable to keep her thoughts away from the fight the previous day as Midori could. She saw fire, and saw more. But Midori ignored it, focusing on keeping the Shadow away from Saki. She whipped the wrench around, not trying to hit, but to keep the Shadow away. Against this thing, she had less idea about what it could do, but it still kept its human near-Saki shape.

She commanded Frosty to send a batch of Bufu at it, the sharp ice flying through the air and impaling themselves in the Shadow's torso. She wondered if it even had a weakness she could exploit before remembering that Frosty could only hit less than a third of the magical elements she knew about. It could be weak to literally everything else, and she would never know.

"GET AWAY!" the Fake hissed and threw a punch at Midori, this time her arm elongated and extended to reach her, forcing Midori to weave around it. It was easier, she noted, than other foes. She could adapt to this, and she did, batting away the arm with her weapon before attacking with Frosty again.

The Shadow didn't know how to handle magic, it seemed, which gave Midori some hope. It wasn't all that powerful, so she could simply batter it down with her advantage in experience. She stepped in, away from Saki and it retreated some more. "Come on!" she yelled out, "Where's your bravado? I thought you were going to hurt us?"

Taunt it, have it make a mistake, punish appropriately.

But the Shadow didn't take the bait. Instead, it hopped even farther back, past the main structure of the Shrine and well away from Midori and Frosty. It hesitated, wondering where things had gone wrong.

It was good enough for Midori, so she spun around, ran to Saki and hauled her to her feet to run, trusting in Frosty to cover their flight.

Hauling Saki behind her, Midori turned left out the shrine and down the road. Behind her, she could feel the heat from the Shadow trying to follow them, but she was faster even with her load than it was by itself. The ever-present fog was also helping, disguising their path even as she tried to keep Saki from revealing their position.

Was it just her, or did it grow thicker as they fled the scene of the fight? "Come on, we need to get out of here," she said to her friend as she pulled her along. There wasn't anywhere to go but not-there, and the farther away the better.

They ran, and they ran. Through silence and across flat nothingness surrounded by endless Fog. Midori knew that she was lost then, and stopped running, letting Saki fall to her knees to catch her breath. She said nothing, but instead started a guarded watch around them, looking for something moving in the fog before starting to run again if need be.

And the moments pause gave her time to think, to sort out her thoughts. As she focused more and more on the strange creature with Saki's face, she kept thinking to what had happened a year ago and trying to find connections.

"Saki-chan, this may seem like a stupid question, but I have to ask you something."

"What?" Her friend replied while collapsed on the ground.

"You ever heard of Aigis, or Metis, or Nyx or Erebos?"

"Um, I think the first one is one of your friends, but not the rest." She paused before fear gripped her. "Are they involved?"

"No, I don't think so." Midori admitted as she dismissed the possibility of a repeat plot. "Just the last time something like this happened, it was building up from something else that should all be done, and I really don't want to have to go through all that again."

"Again?" Saki sounded exasperated. "Why is this happening to me?" her wail was enough to cause Midori to look around in worry, that the sound was enough to attract attention.

"If it helps," Midori tried to be comforting, "I am working very hard to make sure nothing else happens to you, and once you're safe, I'll clean up the mess." Her mind flickered back to Adachi and for a moment her stomach tried to leave through her mouth. But she refused to let it show, and instead focused on how to handle that situation.

The easiest part would be to ignore it. Leave the body here and ignore it. No one would ever have to know, he could just vanish completely and no one would be able to find it unless they too had the power to enter into the television and then wandered around to find it. No chance of that at all.

"What is she? Do you know?" Saki demanded as she regained her feet. "You have to tell me!"

The question changed Midori's line of thought. "It," she said to reinforce its lack of humanity or general person-hood in her eyes, "is not like what I'm thinking of. You don't have what caused what happened last time," she also refused to speak details. "I don't have it either, which means that something else is going on here."

"You can handle it?" There was a faint hope in Saki's voice.

"Of course I can!" Midori put on an ego that she didn't feel, a pride and confidence that was as much a mask for Saki's sake as it was hers. " _After_ I get you home. You're like one of those victims of the week from one of those shows."

"Did you just call me an extra?" Saki focused on the insult to avoid thinking about other, darker things.

"Nah, you got cast in the role of plain-best-friend," Midori explained with a grin, hoping the sudden humor would help. "Every time I have to go off to beat up things, you'll be covering for me, or something like that."

Saki giggled. "I don't even know my lines!" Midori heard the stress, and hoped this was the right thing to do.

"I haven't got a script either. And this would be... what... my third season? Oh, I hope not. I would much rather it be the second movie, and not a full season." Midori shook her head at the thought of her life being like one of the shows her honorary Aunts wrote.

Although this was the same thing she told Nanako and the others. Maybe she should really sit down and write it all down like it was a television show? She could do that, then send it off after the right people checked the scripts over for secrets and all that.

"So you can handle this?" Saki made a show of dusting herself off, even though this strange stage-world had no such thing. "Really?"

"Really," Midori assured her again – and for as many time as she needed to – and looked around again. "Come on, let's keep waking."

 **Dojima Household  
** **Evening** **  
**

Dan bowed as the door closed, the young cousin of his Vice-President having answered honestly that Midori wasn't there. Nor was she home, if the closed curtains and turned-off lights were any indication. Their teacher was not impressed, and it was all he could do to promise to get her back into class before something more serious happened.

And he would also make a note to check on the young man. He looked tired.

But first, he needed to find her.

 **Somewhere Foggy**

He walked through the empty sections of the world, annoyed and grumbling as only a bear could. In the distance, he was the two intruders, those un-bear-able interlopers in _his_ domain! Well, he would show them! Show them how dangerous it was with all the Shadows riled up. And then he would get them out of here!

And hopefully once they were gone, everything would go back to being peaceful and quiet. He could smell them, and while one was a small scent of fear, the other was strange. It was intense, burning his precious nose while at the same time freezing it! It hurt him a little, and he resolved to confront them, even if he could bear-ly stand it.

"Hello!", he called out as he got closer, waving one paw in the air. "You shouldn't be here! You need to leave! It's bear-y dangerous for you!"

The figure that smelled of fear heard his voice and hid behind the other, whose own scent turned sharp. "Who's there?", the sharp one challenged, holding something in their hands.

"I am the great Bear!" He got closer, and as he did, the two of them oriented to face him, "Who are you?"

"I'm Midori..." the near one said, but he interrupted them.

"Never mind! Never mind!" He waved at them, trying to shoo them away. "You need to leave! Now! I don't want you here!"

"And who are you?" Midori asked as she shifted her stance in case she needed to fight.

"Aren't you listening?" He stamped his foot down on the ground, annoyed that they weren't doing as they were told. "It's dangerous!"

"Your name!" Midori nearly shouted, but refrained form that last bit of emotion.

"I'm Teddie! And you need to leave!" Teddie introduced himself as he got closer still.

Midori took a long look at the waddling bundle of child's mascot that came out of the fog. The red and white pants/overalls were topped with an oversized safety zipper that kept the head attached. Midori almost mistook it for a costume when she noticed how the eyes moved, and she changed her opinion. It wasn't a costume, this 'Teddie' in front of her only looked like one. It was alive in a way that only things like demons were.

But this before her wasn't a Demon. At least, it didn't feel like one.

"Well Teddie," she forced herself to be polite and calm in the face of its presence. "We are trying to leave, but can't find a television." She still wasn't sure if that was the way, but she had to try. There was something in the way that Teddie stood there, a certain innocence that came with the silly appearance that would appeal to children like Nanako that made her want to reach out and trust him. "I'm Midori. This is Saki."

"Is that all?" Teddie seemed taken aback by her frank admission. "You... want to leave."

"Yes!" Midori said, trying to keep herself from sounding too eager. "We would like to leave!"

"Are you sure?" Teddie asked, wary. "Someone was throwing stuff in earlier. How do I know it wasn't you?"

Saki and Midori shared a look, and Midori took the lead again. "We didn't do any throwing in," she said. "We were thrown in ourselves, and would like to get out."

"You're saying," Teddie raised one paw to indicate he was thinking, "that you are the trash, and not the trasher?"

Midori bit down on the insult of being called trash. She suspected that this Teddie didn't know better. "Yes, that's it. Can you help us?"

"Only if you promise to punish the ones responsible for making a mess of my home!" Teddie replied with energy. "That they must have a bear-y powerful lesson in throwing things into someone's home like that! You understand!"

Midori recognized that punishment was already delivered, but this thing, this person didn't need to know that. "I solemnly swear that justice will be dispensed."

"What are you, anyways?" Teddie asked curiously. "You smell odd."

Suddenly self-conscious that she hadn't bathed in a while, Midori deflected the question. "Tired," she replied. "A tired Magical Girl."

"What is that?" Teddie rocked back and forth with a curious expression on his face.

"Can we talk as we walk?" Midori asked, not quite ready to give out more of the same lies so soon. "You did promise to show us the way out."

"Oh! I did!" Teddie turned around. "Follow me!"

"Are you sure this is safe?" Saki muttered as Midori followed Teddie deeper into the fog.

"Yes," Midori whispered in reply. "If he was hostile, he would have attacked."

"But can we trust it?"

Midori turned an eye to the thing wearing the skin of a mascot ahead of them. "I hope so."

As they walked, Midori answered Teddie's questions as honestly as she could, even as she tried to get answers from Teddie himself about what this place was.

"It's my home!" He would say in various forms, enough that Midori concluded that Teddie was only slightly less ignorant about this place than she was.

She also made sure she held Saki's hand the entire way, not willing to let her get lost at all.

"How much farther?"

"It's just over there," Teddie said, pointing ahead of them. "Can't you see that far?"

"No," Midori replied. "the fog is too thick."

"Oh! That!" Teddie stopped and turned on them, Saki still hiding behind Midori, but now brave enough to look over her shoulder at the self-described 'bear'. He pointed at his face as best he could with the short arms. "My eyes let me see through the fog! They're awesome! I have contact lenses sewn in which let me see!" He leaned in to Midori. "Don't your glasses to the same thing?"

Having her eyewear brought to her attention, she put one finger to the side of her purple rims. "No, they don't," she admitted. "I need them to focus properly, but they don't affect the fog." She accepted the statement that the lenses Teddie claimed to have would let his see further and attributed it to magic.

"That's sad," Teddie said, slightly deflating. "But you don't have to worry about it because you will never have to come back!"

Midori wasn't so sure about that. She felt that Saki would avoid this place, but something about it and the whole situation told her that she would be back. "Awwww," she pouted, pulling out the more cute side of her personality, "you don't want me to come back for a social visit?"

"No!" Teddie shot back. But there wasn't anger in his voice. "You can leave!" From out of the shadows, another set began to appear. Midori took in what she could, seeing that this wasn't a fake-place like the Central Shopping District, but more open about its nature. There was a stage they climbed onto, like one of those runways you see with a square stage for the crowd to be around.

Teddie stood in the middle and stamped down hard with one foot. From the 'sky', a pile of televisions crashed down, piling three high and made of the old style televisions you would see in places that Midori was sure hadn't heard that they were in the 21st century. "There!" Teddie said as he proudly displayed the pile of static-filled televisions.

Midori reached out and touched the screen of the top one. After a moments resistance, her finger started to slip in. "Do you know where this leads?"

"I don't care!" Teddie said as he ran around the two of them. "Time to leave!" He pushed against Saki, who cringed from the contact and pushed against Midori.

Midori, not expecting the shift in weight, fell forward, into the television.

"Well," Teddie said as the two vanished out of his world. "That's that! No more intruders!"


	3. 14 April 2011 to 16 April 2011

**Junes Department Store  
** **Electronics Department** **  
**

Midori landed on tile, biting back the cry of pain as her elbow was jolted. She slid a little further, Saki coming down on top of her. It was dark around them, but her eyes adjusted quickly. There was also a different feel in the air which told her they were back in the real world, and not the place they had left behind.

Saki rolled off her and curled up into a ball on the floor. Ignoring her own pain, Midori got to her knees and put one hand on her shoulder. "There, there." She tried to be comforting, but found herself extremely tired. Just like coming out of the Dark Hour.

Her eyes now adjusted, she saw that they were in a familiar place. "Junes?" she asked aloud, hoping the sight of the familiar place would help her friend recover. "Come on," she said while standing and dusting off her skirt. "We need to go."

"Go where?"

"Home?" Midori responded rhetorically. They were almost free, she didn't need this sort of distraction. Not now. "If you're feeling up to it?" And naturally, the words of concern for her friend completely bypassed her higher priorities.

"No!" Saki said as she stopped shivering. "I don't want them to ask where I was..."

Midori thought hard, "My place then?"

"Sure," Saki said as she took Midori's unspoken offer to help her stand on her feet. "Wait... Junes?"

Midori nodded. "Yes. I can think about what this all means later, but for now, can you get us out without being seen?"

"I think so...?" Saki left the real question unasked.

So Midori answered it. "Look, it's obviously after closing. We need to get out without attracting attention. Can you do that for us?"

Realizing what was being asked, Saki nodded. "I can do that. Come on," she took a hesitant step, showing the exhaustion that Midori felt before finding her footing. "We can go out the back entrance while they're doing the night deliveries."

"Alright," Midori said to help shore up her friend's decision. Then she winced. "Gah, my elbow." She cradled her injured extremity gently. "I really need an ice pack."

Saki looked around. "I don't think we can get one without people noticing," she started to lapse back into worry and Midori moved to cut that off.

"No, that's alright. Before we get back to my place, we can stop off at Amane and Mari's place. They'll have something."

"You mean the Shrine Maiden?"

Midori nodded. "She owes me a favor, and I can use that." She wasn't exactly sure what caused her to say that, but she did anyways. Confidence was its own reward sometimes. "Come on."

 **Residential District  
** **Home of Amane and Mari  
** **Late Night**

Midori led Saki up the stairs to the apartment that the doctor and shrine maiden shared. "I hope they're not asleep," Midori said aloud, even as she ascended. At the top, she saw that there were still lights on, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "Come on, Saki."

"Are you sure about this?" Saki responded with wariness. "I mean, won't they ask questions?"

"You let me handle that," Midori responded as she stopped in front of the door. Reaching out with her good arm, she rang the doorbell.

Then came an awkward and silent moment of waiting before she saw in the peephole a shadow crossing it then the door was opened. "Midori!" Amane said with a small amount of joy. "What happened? Where were you?"

"It's complicated," Midori said. "Can we come in? And is Mari in?" She raised her injured elbow. "I need this looked at."

"Of course! Come on!" Amane swept the two younger girls into the apartment, then closed the door. She looked at Saki with concern. "What happened?"

Saki looked to Midori for guidance, and Midori realized she was about to lie to a friend, which didn't suit her at all. "Saki got involved in something she doesn't want a part of," she said to try and minimize the deception. "It was something I was more comfortable dealing with, and Abel knows." Name dropping him was a gamble, but one she was willing to take by meeting Amane's eyes directly.

"Amane, who is it?" Mari called out from her bedroom.

"Midori and a friend," Amane replied. "Midori needs you to look at her arm." She led Midori and Saki into the living room and bid them sit.

Mari opened her door and stepped out. "Midori? What happened?"

"I hit it," Midori said, raising the inured extremity to be examined. "Things happened."

"Like what?" Mari asked even as Amane took Saki to one side, away from the physician and patient.

"Things that you don't want to get involved in," Midori said flatly. At Mari's worried gaze, she shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Abel knows and I dealt with it. It wasn't a big deal," she lied, "but I had to rescue Saki."

"That's where you were yesterday?"

"Do I have to answer?" Midori winced as Mari put some pressure on her elbow. "Look, this was a one-time event. In. Out. Everything has been dealt with, and you didn't get involved."

Mari thought about that as she determined that Midori only needed a cold compress for her injury. "You mean to keep Amane out of it?" she asked quietly.

Midori nodded. Mari took a deep breath. "Are you sure that everything is resolved?"

"Yes," Midori said before the compress was applied. She hissed a little at the contact, then let herself relax. "If it wasn't, I would be responding accordingly."

"And your friend?"

Midori looked over where Saki and Amane were talking. "I told her that she can walk away, no problems. She doesn't have to treat this more than a bad nightmare, and pretend it never happened."

"That may not be so easy," Mari warned her. "You were missing all day yesterday and while it's not official yet, people were looking for you."

Midori grimaced. "Damn," she swore. "What do I do about that?" She tried to think of something, but nothing that was workable came to mind.

"If it comes to that," Amane said as she guided Saki back into the living room, "I will vouch for you two."

Saki shot a look at her. "Really?"

"Yes," Amane replied. "You said that this detective was being harsh with you? Then I will say you were under my protection while sorting things out. It will be enough."

Midori thought about that, then nodded. "Thank you, Amane-chan!"

But Amane's face was serious. "Midori, I am doing you a favor here, a very large one. Do not make it in vain."

"Of course!" Midori promised with enthusiasm. She stood up. "Thank you for your help," she said as she bowed to Mari, careful to cradle her arm. "Come on Saki, let's get you home."

"Don't get lost in the fog," Mari said. "It should break tonight, but still, be careful."

"We will," Midori replied.

Once the two had left, Mari and Amane shared a worried look. "Please tell me that Abel asked her to take care of something because we're supposed to be hidden." Amane couldn't keep the worry from her voice.

"She did," Mari confirmed. "I will call him in the morning."

 **15 April 2011  
** **Dojima Residence  
** **Morning**

"I got it," Ryotaro announced as the doorbell rang. His daughter and nephew were serving themselves breakfast of eggs and rice, which allowed him to step away. Opening the door, he was shocked that his supervisor was standing there as well as a stern and at the same time worried looking co-worker whose name he drew a complete blank on. "Sir!" He saluted give the uniforms they were wearing. "I'm not late, am I? I didn't hear a call on my phone..."

"No," his boss replied, careful to keep total control over himself. "But we need you to come with us to the station," he made his request clear that it wasn't. "Now. Detective Adachi has been found."

There was a certain tone in his voice that caused Ryotaro to catch himself as he put on his shoes. "Is he alright? What happened?" Something had gone wrong, and the thought of his young partner being injured at some point and him not there to help was stomach turning.

"No, he is not." The supervisor said. "Tohru Adachi was found this morning, dead."

 **Komaki Residence**

Midori heard the bell ring, but her tired eyes refused to open. She could tell by the texture under her that she wasn't on her futon, but had fallen asleep on the couch in the living room. Nor had she bothered to change out of her uniform when she had gotten home last night.

There was also someone on the couch as well, and her vague memory told her that Saki had joined her rather than head home and try to explain things to her parents then and there.

The bell rang again and Midori forced her eyes to open. The vague shapes of her living room in the morning greeted her and she fumbled around, trying to remember where her glasses were. There were things she needed to do, but for the life of her, she couldn't remember. Finding them on the table beside her side of the couch, she stood up. "Coming", she said as she stumbled the first couple steps before gaining her footing.

She was _tired_. And worse than any trip into the Dark Hour.

The bell rang again, and Midori finally reached the door. Before it could be rung a third time, she opened it up without bothering to check who was on the other side.

A Nanako-shaped blur pushed through the open gap and crashed into her legs. Unable to maintain her balance under the assault, Midori fell backwards, landing heavily on her rear. The shock was enough to give her system a wake-up jolt and she muttered something that shouldn't be said in front of children as Yu came in after her, closing the door behind them.

"Hello," Yu said as he bowed in greeting. "Forgive the intrusion. Uncle Dojima sent us over." He raised himself from his bow while Midori pestered Nanako to take off her shoes. "There is a problem, and he sent us over," he repeated himself before taking a calming breath.

"What happened?" Midori took the news with far more fear than she should have had she known less.

Yu out down the two bags that were over his shoulder. "Something bad. His partner, Adachi-san, was found dead this morning, near the police station."

Midori froze in fear. Adachi had been found? How? Did that 'Teddie' entity throw out the body, thinking it was 'trash'? What about the fake Saki? Would her crime be her undoing?

But Yu thought the fear had a different source, and misread her reaction. He offered a hand to help lift her up. "Uncle Dojima told me to bring Nanako over."

Midori shook her head of the worst of the fears, putting them aside until she could know more. Then she would have to consider her options. She took Yu's hand, and let him pull her up, even as she kept one arm wrapped around Nanako for support. "You're going to stay here?" She hazarded a guess as to why her uncle would send them over with bags.

He nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry," he apologized again.

"No, don't be." Midori thought for a moment before allocating space. "Nanako will share my room. You can borrow my daddy's room while he's away." She indicated the stairs leading upstairs. "Be quiet though, Saki is still sleeping." She carried Nanako through the living room and up the stairs, Yu following behind.

"If you don't mind," Yu asked as they ascended, "you skipped school yesterday and the President came over, asking where you were."

Midori didn't react strongly, Nanako hugging her as they reached the second floor. "Saki and I were otherwise occupied," she said. "I won't answer any further questions." Was this what Fuuka felt like trying to explain her absence after being caught in the Dark Hour? Half-truths and deflections?

"Alright," Yu accepted her statement without further comment. "But I hope you're not planning on missing class again today."

Midori opened the door to her room, and Yu tossed one bag in after seeing that it was hers. "That's her stuff," he said. "Spare clothes and all that."

"Good," she replied. "And no, I'm not going to miss class. One day, I can explain away. But two? Before a weekend? No, not so much." She already dreaded trying to catch up on what she missed out yesterday. Club, homework, Student Council work... She opened the door to her daddy's room, and Yu tossed the other bag in. "I'll help you set up this evening," she said.

The three of them returned to the first floor, and Midori set Nanako down by the low table and handed her the remote to the television. It was bright and clear out the window, which was good as she was sick of fog. "Yu, wake Saki-chan please? I'll start breakfast."

"We've already eaten," Yu said. "And school starts shortly."

Midori snapped around and checked the clock. It was! "Alright, wake her up." She tried to figure out a plan for the next few minutes. She needed to clean up, get clean clothes... she could skip breakfast and buy food or borrow from her friends for lunch. "Do you have a key?"

"Ah, no?" Yu replied as he gently poked Saki in the shoulder.

"There's a spare at your place," Midori reminded him. "Hanging with the others by the front door. Grab it on your way back from school so you can let yourself in."

"I will," Yu replied.

 **Yasoinaba High School  
** **Class 3-2  
** **Lunch Time**

Midori staggered back into the class, failing to fully close the door behind her fully. She still felt tired from her excursion the day before, and the ache in her elbow wasn't helping any. After confirming that Saki was still in class, she collapsed at her desk and found the energy to raise her arms up to cradle her head.

She ignored the food put in front of her by Eri and Kanako, though some part of her that hadn't spoken up in years told her that she still needed to eat what was put in front of her. Her two friends and club-mates were worried about her absence the day before, and tried to get her to talk about it.

"Midori!" Eri said as she lowered herself to look her in the eye. "How did it go?" Now she was trying a different approach.

"Horrible," Midori muttered as she eyed a piece of fried shrimp that crossed her vision. "It was a tag-team with Morooka-sensei and Nakayama-sensei," the math teacher was also her homeroom teacher in her final year of high school - "both of whom let me know that I was letter everyone down with my antics." She mustered the effort to finger quote that last word. "The sheer volume of his disappointment was practically physical. His precious pupil, cutting class!" Midori was tempted to use Amane's promise of a cover story to get her teacher from last year off her back, but refrained.

"How's the elbow?" Kanako shifted focus again, Midori seeing through the ploy to keep her off guard and get to the heart of the matter.

"Sore," Midori replied. "How are the others?"

News of the dead police officer spread faster than wildfire, and a lot of people were already talking about how it could be connected to the death of the newscaster last week. At every word, Midori fought hard with herself to hide her guilt behind the mask that everyone else depended on. She kept expecting to hear the sirens of the police cars arrive to arrest her.

And every moment that they didn't was horrific.

"Horrible," Kanako replied with a sad face. "I mean, he worked with your uncle, right?"

"Yeah," Midori wondered where and how Adachi gained a Persona. It wasn't related to the Dark Hour, and she was a fake. That left the foggy place. Cause or Effect? She had no idea. But she did know that he knew about it before sending Saki and herself into it.

And they weren't even his first victims. It was obvious to her that he used that power to kill Mayumi Yamano, and thought he could get away with it with Saki and her. But she was the first who could defend herself and others, which meant he thought he was unique in that regard, right until the end.

She really wanted to call Aigis for help, knowing that her friend would drop everything to come to her aid. Yet in doing so, she would have her own crime revealed. She didn't want to hurt Aigis by revealing the truth that she had killed someone, even if they were a Persona user and it was in self defense. It would break Aigis' heart, and therefore was an impossible option. She was on her own.

"Midori?" Her introspection had not gone unnoticed. Eri was tapping her shoulders. "You awake?"

"Can I just pretend this is a nightmare?"

"No," Kanako said. "None of us can."

 **Yasoinaba Police Station  
** **Interrogation Room** **  
**

The door to the room was unlocked, a testament to the fact that he wasn't a suspect or a person of interest. Even then, a single uniformed officer waited nervously outside, ready to take any reasonable requests that he may have had. It was all to remind Dojima that he was not under investigation, but that did nothing to calm him down.

Tohru was dead. Shot in the gut if what he overheard was to be believed. Strung up like Mayumi Yamano. And as his partner, they had to ask him the usual questions even as they would be asked again once the prefecture officers arrived to conduct the official investigation.

Did he see any problems with the way Adachi was behaving? Was he in a relationship with the deceased woman?

There was nothing he saw, which made him doubt himself like nothing else.

He sat there, deflated. About the only bright spot so far this day was that Mamoru had promised to cut his work trip short and return to Inaba to look after the kids. While he would have trusted Midori to look after Nanako and for Yu to look after himself under normal circumstances, these were far from normal.

He also did not want to think that the last time anyone could confirm seeing Adachi was the night Midori had barged into the station to collect her friend – and no one could recall seeing them leave.

The possibility that she knew something was bad enough. He hoped it was just a coincidence and nothing more.

 **Yasogami High School  
** **Principal's Office  
** **After School**

"She should be arriving shortly," the venerable principal addressed the two officers who sat across from him. "Are you sure that all this is necessary?"

"Yes," one Detective replied. "We need to get her story before we can move forward with other factors in our investigation."

There was a knock on the door, and the Principal raised his voice. "Come in!"

Midori stepped in, bowed, then saw the police. A bit of color drained from her face, but she put on a good show as she approached. "You wanted to see me?" She asked as she kept her focus on the principal. It would seem like she would need Amane's help sooner rather than never.

 **Komaki Residence  
** **Kitchen  
** **Evening**

The three minors sat around the low table eating the supper of store-bought noodles and home fried eggs on top. It wasn't a proper supper, but it was enough for them to work with given the situation and the stress they felt.

Midori was thankful that she was starting to recover from that trip. The exhaustion was still there, but it felt now more like the kind she got from staying up too late, rather than being in the Dark Hour. She figured that a good night's sleep would restore her to her usual self. Even though she hadn't pushed herself that hard in a very long time, she refused to be soft in the face of such resistance.

After her discussion with the two officers, she collected Nanako from the adjacent school and took her straight home. The little girl was confused about what was going on, but Midori took a firm stance that her daddy was working on it so it wouldn't be a problem any more.

And when she had finally gotten home, she found two messages on her answering machine. The first was from her own daddy, who informed her that he would be home tomorrow due to the 'emergency', as he put it.

Midori was thankful for that, and hoped that he wouldn't mind sharing with Yu. The other was from Dojima, thanking her for helping out. That was nice, and hearing it allayed Nanako's worries.

As they ate supper, she relayed the messages to Yu. "This is serious," he pointed out. "Things won't settle down for a while."

Midori agreed, but kept the specifics vague as Nanako was with them. "Something like that will involve a lot of police."

"Like daddy?" Nanako asked.

"Of course!" Midori responded sweetly. "Uncle is very important and he'll have everything done quickly! But it's going to take a lot of work, so you will have to stay here with Big Sis for a couple days, alright?"

"Yes!" Nanako approved of spending time with her big sister in all cases. She shuffled closer to Midori to share in her personal space, and further away from Yu.

Midori saw this and looked at the second-year student. "Sorry, she's still shy."

Yu smiled. "I understand." Even as he did, he thought about talking to her about the Midnight channel, and how she appeared on it. What did she know, he wondered. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Midori thought about it for a moment. "Could you do the dishes while I make sure Nanako takes her bath?"

"Of course," Yu said. There was a television in the room he was borrowing, so he would see if he could access the Channel there as well.

 **16 April 2011  
** **Minotodai Dormitory, 4th Floor  
** **Evening**

Junpei and Chidori sat around the speakerphone, waiting for the ringing phone to pick up. When it did, it wasn't Midori on the line. "Hello?" A young girl's voice said into the phone.

"Hello Nanako-chan," Chidori said softly, not needing her usual voice when dealing with Midori's little sister. "It's me, Chidori! Is your Big Sister available?" She looked at Junpei who was giving her a grin. "What?" She asked him in her normal voice.

"Nothing," Junpei said with a grin. "Who knew you were so good with kids?"

"She has done nothing to earn my ire," Chidori retorted. "And she is a child. Why would I treat her like someone my age?"

Any further argument was halted when Midori picked up the phone. "Hello?" she asked. "Chidori? Junpei?"

"Hey Midori!" Junpei interjected before Chidori could speak. "Guess what?"

"... what?" Midori was expecting a conversation about the murders, and was actually a little thankful that he wasn't going to do that. "Did you fail out of University already?"

"Actually no," Junpei said while shaking his head and ignoring Chidori's glare. She wanted to address the more serious issue first, but he felt he had the better option. "So, you'll never guess what happened yesterday."

"No idea," Midori sounded a little tired. "I'm sorry Junpei, it's just that I'm not in my right frame of mind right now."

"No, that's cool." Junpei soothed over the rough patch. "I get it. Well, yesterday after class, Chidori and I get called to a meeting with Mitsuru."

"What did she want?" Midori gained a little energy as she envisioned Mitsuru doing something inappropriate.

"Well, you know how the old Dorm got renovated over the past year, right?"

"Yes...?"

"Well it's done, and Mitsuru asked Chidori and I to live here as the Dorm Managers."

Midori was silent. "Really?"

"Yep! Ken, Koromaru, Fuuka and Aigis have already moved back in. Turns out, what with Persona users being a bit more probable than she first expected, Mitsuru figures that having a Dorm where she can put school kids with the power in while they attend classes here in town would be a good thing. And Chidori and I agreed to run the Dorm for her as we've got experience with the power and all that. Plus, we're apparently mature adults now."

"You. Mature." Midori's voice held the tinge of a laugh in it, though it didn't come through to the surface. "Wait. I heard from my friends that the Dorm was expanding."

"It is," Chidori said. "The building down hill from us was bought and demolished, with the Dorm expanding into it. There are rooms for 20 people now."

There was silence from Midori, then delivered a grunted "huh. So you two are in charge? Don't let the authority get to you."

Junpei shook his head, even though Midori couldn't see the gesture. "Nah. Everyone here will have the power, or the potential. Still gonna have her hanging over our heads."

"It is very empty though," Chidori said. "She hasn't found anyone new yet."

"Still not moving!" Midori sang out.

"Not asking!" Junpei sang back. "But yeah, I figured I'd let you know. In case you come down here for whatever reason, let us know and we'll get you a room."

"Thanks, Junpei." Though Midori figured it would only be for a sports thing this year.

"So," Chidori said now that the casual things were out of the way. "How are you doing?"

"No way you're gonna let me avoid this, are you?" Midori's voice lost a lot of energy that it had a moment previously.

"We are your friends, and we are worried about you." Chidori tried to be soothing, but she didn't have the ability to project that over the phone.

"Daddy came home today," Midori said, "and he's been a help getting things back in order." She sighed. "And Uncle Ryotaro called to let us know he was alright and to talk to Nanako. The whole town is in shock. There are rumors going around that this was a murder-suicide."

Junpei winced. "Ouch. Look, you just ask and I'm certain that we can come on up for the support. Classes have just started, so if I miss a week, it shouldn't be too much of a hassle."

"JUNPEI IORI!" Chidori raised her voice to admonish him. "You will not skip class so casually!" She huffed and straightened out her dress. "I will go instead."

Junpei shook his head sadly. "You have classes as well, you know."

"Art is more flexible than education, Junpei."

Midori relaxed a little. "Thanks you two. Although about the only person who could spare the time to come up here would be Koro-chan. Everyone else has their own commitments."

"Yeah, I suppose," Junpei agreed. "But seriously. You ask, we come. What are friends for?"


	4. 17 April 2011

**17 April 2011  
** **Shadow Hunters HQ, Kirijo Group  
** **Afternoon**

Atsuro whistled as he appreciated the technology in front of him. He was very familiar with a lot of it, thanks to his work in decoding and deconstructing the works of his mentor, Naoya.

"I see you understand the gravity of the situation," Mitsuru Kirijo said from behind him, flanked by the other two young women that he knew. Fuuka Yamagishi was a person that he had lots of experience cooperating with over the past few years, while the ever-exotic Aigis (whose family name he still didn't know) watched him with wary eyes.

There was a lot of paperwork involved to bring him to this location, and quite a few discussions with his contacts in the SDF to make sure that he didn't say things he shouldn't have. "I get it. The stuff the Shomankai stole came from your labs. You've cleaned house, but want someone you can trust with experience to watch over it."

"That is correct. Your control over the Babel Server was instrumental in our approaching you." Kirijo-san said, watching him with a wary eye. He wasn't a persona user by any test they could administer remotely, and they were willing to keep up the impression that he didn't know. "Your personal references were also made of good assurances." She was saying nothing they both hadn't already discussed in the months leading up to this moment.

"Yeah." Atsuro knew that a lot was riding on him, even if his career for the rest of his life was assured. "I suppose so. I suppose you'll want email access through the Server established?"

"That is something I would like for important positions in the Hunters," Mitsuru agreed. "However, I understand that we are simply formalizing your status as administrator of the server and as such its security should be your highest priority."

Atsuro wondered how much she actually knew, and if that was why she never made direct references to the Demon Summoning Program and its apps. He had talked to Abel, and his friend had this huge smirk the entire time and refused to explain what he found so funny. But for the sake of working conditions, he was willing to play along. "I'm told I'm getting a workshop. Can I see it now?"

"Of course," Mitsuru said. She nodded at the two beside her. "Yamagishi and Aigis will accompany you. I have other matters to attend to." She bowed politely and took her leave, leaving Atsuro alone with the two of them.

"Cool," he said as he approached Fuuka and Aigis. "It's nice working with you. Please take care of me," he bowed formally, recognizing them as his superiors in his new job. "Shall we go?"

"Yes," Aigis said, watching him with a wary eye. "We shall."

"Aigis, you can relax. He's not going to do anything," Fuuka said as the three of them left the room that held the core of the Shadow Hunters servers.

"I choose to worry," Aigis responded. She directed the next comment at Atsuro directly. "I have been in contact with Midori, and she informs me that if you do anything inappropriate, to contact her first."

"AIGIS!" Fuuka complained loudly. "No!"

Aigis faced Fuuka, a serious expression on her face. "She was quite worried for you in his presence. I am merely acting on her behalf."

Atsuro laughed. "Don't worry. I can be very professional." He too had messages from Dolly – no, she had quit that now – Midori on his COMP which informed him in detail what would happen if he did anything 'inappropriate' to her friends and his co-workers. "She's told me the same thing."

Fuuka's face was flush with embarrassment. "I'm not living in a daytime drama. I'm not living in a daytime drama." She repeated the mantra over and over again, wondering where and how things turned out this way. Oh, she recognized the hand of her younger friend in it all, but watching Aigis take a hyperbolic threat seriously was just awkward.

After a few minutes walking, an elevator ride, and two security checkpoints, the three of them reached Atsuro's new workshop.

Entering first, he was stunned by the amount of money spent on equipping this place. "There's everything here!" he gushed. "You guys are really serious about this."

"That is correct," Aigis said. "And now that you have signed the appropriate NDAs, we can reveal more of your duties for the Shadow Hunters."

"You've had me interested in these secret objectives ever since you guys let me know that I would be signing up for secret stuff." Atsuro ignored the two behind him to examine the tech in front. "I mean, what could be so outlandish that you talk about the Server but not this?"

Fuuka knew this was coming, and every discussion planning this ended with the acceptance that it would have to happen on Aigis' terms. She watched as her friend rolled up the sleeve of her jacket, revealing the robotic creation underneath. Holding her breath, she watched as Aigis walked up to Atsuro and from behind and put her hand on his shoulder.

He turned to look at her, and for the first time saw what she was. "What...?"

"I am a gynoid constructed over a decade ago by your teacher, Naoya." Aigis said firmly. "Part of your duties will involve the technology behind my existence."

Suddenly, Midori's comments about 'inappropriate' took on a whole new meaning.

 **Tatsuhime Shrine, Central Shopping District**

Dan hopped over the threshold to the shrine, looking around for the Miko. He knew that she should still be here, having confirmed that with the various store owners across the street first. "Amane-Miko-San?" He felt a little guilty at using her first name like this, but she had given him permission while he helped her catch up to her secular education. "Are you still here?"

She emerged from the little storehouse behind the shrine, a broom in hand. "Yes," she asked, apparently not recognizing him in the moment. "Can I help you?"

Dan ignored that. "The police are still looking into Midori and Saki's whereabouts for the day they were out of touch," he didn't explain how he knew this. He had his own methods. "I am concerned that they may be coming to the wrong conclusions."

Amane's eyes narrowed as she considered that. "I spoke with them on Friday, why would they be looking?"

"There was physical evidence of an altercation," he _really_ didn't want to explain how he knew that, but the priestess took it in stride. "I know she was with you," he said while filling in the gaps off his own knowledge with educated conclusions. "But they are still investigating."

For Amane, there was no further decision to be made. "Thank you. Do you happen to have a vehicle?"

 **Yasoinaba Police Station**

Amane strode into the front lobby of the professional building, leaving her associate to pay the taxi driver and get a receipt. She hadn't bothered to change out of her religious clothing – not for a lack of time, but because it would reinforce her position and authority to the people she would be talking too.

Arriving at the front desk, she gave her best 'I am disappointment' glare at the undeserving officer who sat there. He immediately wilted under it. "The detective, or whomever it is who is in charge of the investigation regarding the unfortunate events earlier this week, please." She didn't bow as she chose her words carefully to maintain the aura of superiority. With plenty of experience in dealing with true believers, she had no problems with cowing him into doing her bidding.

"Y... yes, ma'am!" The officer picked up a phone and dialed a number. He talked quietly and quickly enough that Amane couldn't hear what was said, but the result was to her liking. "Please have a seat, Miko-sama." He rose and bowed to her, gesturing to the line of plastic chairs against one wall. "The Assistant Commissioner will be with you shortly."

Amane bowed in thanks, then walked over the row of chairs. Identifying them as those cheap seats that were not meant to be sat in for long periods of time, she instead stood and turned to face the hallway that led further into the station. As she settled in to wait, she resolved to apologize to the front officer at a future point in time. She had been unnecessarily antagonistic to him, and she did feel a little guilty about that.

It took only a few minutes, but a man she did not recognize, in an ornate uniform came into the lobby. He looked around until their eyes met and he approached her. He offered a formal bow, and she replied in kind. "Amane-miko-sama?" he asked.

"I am, Assistant Commissioner," she said back. "I apologize for the inconvenience, but I have something to say regarding your investigation."

"I understand. My name is Takaya." He offered one hand in guidance. "If you would come with me, we can speak privately."

Amane followed him, and was led deeper into the police station and into an interview room. The walls were bare, a small television in one corner with a tape player under it, built into the frame. The Assistant Commissioner offered her a seat, which she took before he sat down opposite her. "What is this regarding?" He asked calmly.

"It has come to my attention that your investigation has turned its direction to Komaki Midori and Koinishi Saki," Amane stated, watching him carefully for any reaction.

He didn't. He was too professional for that. "I cannot confirm any details of an active..."

She cut him off, not caring about his rank. "I wish to vouch for their whereabouts from Wednesday evening until Friday morning." Amane did not glare at him, but did maintain a certain intensity about herself to keep the notion that she was not to be trifled with.

Takaya worked for the Prefecture, and was assigned to this case as a necessary action considering that it was a local officer who was found dead. That this young priestess (he was certain she looked familiar) knew about the current state of the investigation meant that the locals were talking to each other.

It was only natural. Even when forensics were saying that the deceased officer had been in a fight before his death by gunshot to the stomach, there was too many irregularities to move on with the investigation in a normal manner. He didn't want to deal with the local shrine maiden interfering, but even her actions can help the investigation in one manner or another. "I will ask that you make a written statement to that effect."

"Of course. However, I cannot tell you exactly what was going on while they were under my purview," she elaborated, leaving silence as her defense while lying to cover for her friend. "I will invoke my rights from my position in that regard should you press the matter."

Takaya, however, saw through this. Her sudden appearance meant that the two named girls did have more information that might be relevant to the investigation, but unless he was willing to move against a pillar of the community – and in a small town, the religious leadership was always a pillar – he would have to move on to other lines of inquiry. "Of course. I will bring some documentation for you to fill out." He stood and went to the door to talk to an officer outside. One he was satisfied, he returned to the table. "We may still have to talk to them about events that transpired before they came under your protection," he noted carefully, wanting to see what the priestess would give away.

"I understand that, and I hope your investigation goes well."

 **Komaki Residence**

Mamoru was working in his office on a presentation he would have to make next week when the house phone began to ring. Mindful of his responsibilities, he waited for the caller ID to work its mysterious technological magic. Once it displayed the name and number of Ryotaro, he quickly saved his work and picked the phone out of its cradle. "Ryo!" He greeted his neighbor and friend with cheer in his voice. "Please tell me you're coming home soon! Your daughter misses you."

"Ugh," Dojima grunted foully on the other end of the line. He ignored the shortening of his name by Mamoru as well. "I'll do that as soon as I can," he grumbled to himself. "Mamoru, can I beg a favor from you?"

"Sure, anything!"

"Can you or Midori come over to the station with your car?"

"You need a pick up?" Mamoru asked, confused and worried.

"No, nothing like that." Ryotaro sighed on his end of the call. "It's just that Yu and a couple of his friends from school were caught at the mall with some weapons they claimed were for self-defense." Dojima shook his head. "I gave them a stern lecture, but I could use someone I trust to collect them."

Mamoru was already standing. "I can do that for you. I can be there in, oh, about twenty or twenty-five minutes." He picked up his jacket from where he threw it yesterday and left his office, locking it behind him with Nanako in the house. She was at that age where she would wander in with purely innocent reasons, but he didn't want to take the chance. "You want me to do anything with the kids? I may be out of practice with the groundings and other punishments, but I can think of something."

"No," Ryotaro responded. "That won't be needed. Just bring them home, phone the other kids' parents to pick them up. And tell Nanako that I will be home for supper."

Mamoru saw some flaws in the logic and requests, but rejected voicing them out of concern for his friend. "I'll do that then." Reaching the front door, he slipped on his shoes and grabbed his keys. "I'm leaving now. See you soon." With that, he hung up, and raised his voice. "Midori?"

"Daddy?" Midori responded form the living room. "What's up?"

"Yu and some of his buddies got themselves into trouble," he told his daughter who was studying at the living room table while Nanako read a picture book of some sort for her own classes. The television was on, turned to the weather channel for the white noise. Fog, rain, rain and more rain. "Ryo asked me to pick them up."

"Alright," Midori nodded in understanding. "What did they do?"

Mamoru shrugged. "You can ask them when they get here," he watched as Midori considered that and a change came over her. It was a subtle shift in her body language, but she matured in a moment, readying herself for dealing with the unknown. It was something he didn't feel she knew she did, and thought nothing more of it. "Oh," he said as he tossed the phone at her, "could you put that back in my office? I locked the door, so use the spare key."

"Of course, daddy."

 **Later**

Yu, Yosuke and Chie all sat around the table in the living room while Midori focused a glower on each of them from the head of it. She was trying to figure out what to do in this situation, and so far all of her potential responses were either too stern, or not strict enough. Adding to that, Nanako's presence at the table forced her to moderate herself for the little girl's sake.

Daddy was in the kitchen, making iced tea for everyone. And yet, she had to say something before he got back to establish a dominance before the two people from outside her extended family left. "Be glad this isn't a school day," she stated flatly. "Imagine what Morooka-sensei would do to you if that were the case."

"I ain't afraid of King Moron," Chie stated, though Midori felt it was a bluff - she was chafing at being confined to Midori's home, even though it was far nicer than what it seemed she was expecting, and it showed in the way she moved.

"This was a stupid idea," Yosuke huffed. "Why did I agree to this?" Midori saw that putting pressure on him would get the best immediate results. "Why don't we tell her? The Vice-President will have to believe us!"

Midori was quietly proud that he recognized her authority. "The cops didn't," Chie objected.

"Bro!" Yosuke turned to Yu, who had been silent throughout all this so far. "We gotta tell someone!"

The power dynamics between those three were interesting to to observe, as Midori did. Yu had somehow taken a form of leadership, Yosuke seeking approval from him – or was it appealing to mediation in his dealings with the overbearing Chie? It was fun to watch, even as she armored her own psyche against getting caught in it. She had to be above them.

"Calm down," Yu said. "Arguing won't get us anywhere." He matched eyes with Midori, a challenge she accepted.

Their contest of wills was broken when Mamoru came into the living room with a platter full of glasses and two jugs of ice-topped tea. "Drinks for everyone while we're waiting," he announced into the conversation at the table. Setting down his load, he passed around the cups to everyone then began to pour.

"Thank you!" Nanako chirped as the small plastic cup was topped up before Mamoru turned to fill Midori's glass. "I want a big one too!"

Recognizing what was really being asked thanks to his own experience in raising a daughter, Mamoru lied through his teeth. "All the other ones are dirty, so I can do that next time, after they've been washed."

Nanako pouted, and turned to her big sister for support, ignoring everyone else in the process. "Please?"

Midori shook her head. "Sorry Nana-chi," she leaned over and patted her on the head. "How about if you're done your glass before me, I'll let you drink from mine?"

Nanako looked between the two containers of drink. "Promise?"

"Always!" Midori replied cheerfully. She could see that Nanako was still unused to dealing with so many strangers in the house, so she moved to relax her.

With that out of the way and handled, Mamoru put the remaining drink in the middle of the table. "I'm going back to work. But when your parents come to pick you up, I'll be there." He let that settle over Chie and Yosuke, the ones most affected by the implied threat. "Whether you tell them what happened, or the police do shall be your choice." With the 'implication' removed from the threat, he nodded to Midori, then headed upstairs to his office, a tall glass of his own in hand.

Once he was gone, Midori exploited the threat on the weak point in front of her. "Hanamura," she focused on him with all the intensity she could muster short of invoking Frosty. She wanted to intimidate him into submission, not scare him out of it, especially with Nanako there.

"We didn't mean to!" He promptly folded, earning him the ire of Chie. "But we had to! Yu was about to jump in!"

"Jump into what?" Midori wasn't aware of any rumors of anything which would involve weapons.

"Shut up!" Chie hissed at him, but Midori ignored the interjection. Instead she focused for a moment on Nanako burrowing into her side as these strangers started to argue.

She clamped a hand over her open ear, then leveled a lethal look at Chie. "You will keep your tone civil in the presence of a child," she warned with no room for miscommunication.

Seeing the young girl's actions and pose, Chie stopped herself short. "I'm sorry," she bowed to Nanako. "I didn't mean to be loud."

"Nana-chi?" Midori pulled Nanako away from her for a moment. "Why don't you go read in my room for a while?" She indicated the open picture book on the table, then leaned in to whisper, "you don't have to worry about the strangers then."

"Alright," Nanako said as she picked up her book and drink. Once she climbed up the stairs, Midori listened carefully to the door to her room opening and closing before throwing her angry voice at Chie.

"Listen to me very carefully," she growled out. "I don't care that you and I have our differences, but you upset her again, what I do to you will go down in town legend, am I understood?"

"Dude," Yosuke warned Chie, "just apologize."

"I agree," Yu said, even as Chie seemed to balk at the idea. "She's not telling you to apologize to her, she wants you on your best behavior where Nanako-chan is concerned."

"Fine," Chie said. "I promise." She added that to the list of reasons to not like the Vice-President.

"Now, what is this you were talking about? Jumping into what?" Midori brought the conversation back on track.

Yu thought about it for a moment while under the expectant gazes of his two classmates. "I'll show you," he said as he stood up. Midori watched him as he walked over to the television that was still tuned into the weather channel. He reached out and turned it off, then placed his hand against the LCD screen. Slowly, he pushed into it until his hand and wrist vanished, leaving his lower arm both in and out of the television.

If he expected some sort of reaction from Midori, she didn't give him one. Her mind exploded and one part of her instantly moved to cover up any agitation she felt. Sipping her tea, she looked again at Yu. If Adachi had that power, and it was related to his Persona, what did that say about Yu? She needed more information, and being calm would allow her to extract it.

"You can remove your arm," she said as she put down her drink. "And start explaining what happened."

So they started talking, over and through each other. They told her about Yu's discovery while watching the Midnight Channel (something that Midori knew about, but dismissed as a silly rumor), about the 'show' that displayed the two people whom she recognized as herself and Saki. Then about how they had gone into the television in Junes and how they stepped in, Yu first, then Chie and Yosuke.

She listened with a stony face as they described the same location that 'Teddie' had used to allow her and Saki to exit. Although she noted that they missed some of the things she observed in her time there as well.

They talked about how they wandered around, and Midori refused to show her fear as they described arriving at the stage that was the Central Shopping District. They found the open Liquor store, and she listened as she tried to figure out how close she and Saki really were to the exit that they went in the wrong direction.

Then they described an encounter with a fake Yosuke. How it accosted them in the place where she fought Adachi and left him. But they didn't say anything about that. Instead, they elaborated how they confronted the shadowy figure where she and Saki had run.

Yu finally said the word that Midori didn't know she was fearing. "I heard a voice in my head, demanding to be let out," he said as the others shut up. "It wanted me to invoke my Persona. And I did." He described Izanagi and how it fought the monster that Yosuke's shadow had become. Midori saw that Yosuke was cringing in on himself, ashamed of what had happened.

"I don't get it," Chie complained after the tale of their fight was done. "Why do those guys get superpowers and I don't?"

Midori couldn't answer the question. She didn't want to know either, except that this was a major problem now. "And how did you get out?"

"Some thing named Teddie came to us," Chie said with a dismissive wave. "He was dressed in a teddy bear costume like you'd see in a park. He got all 'Grr! You're not supposed to be here!'" Midori mentally filled in the correct voice as Chie impersonated him. "He said we shouldn't be here, and needed to leave. Yu agreed, especially with that thing that attacked us, and he took us back to Junes."

Once they were done, Midori saw that her glass of tea was empty, so she poured herself a new one as she thought. "I cannot say I've seen such things," she calmly lied. "However, given the evidence in front of me," she glanced at the still-off television, "I cannot reject your story outright either."

"You want to go yourself!" Chie jumped to a conclusion Midori was seriously considering. "You want powers too!"

"No," Midori said. "However, this 'Teddie' did ask that you leave him alone and in peace." She took a sip and found that the ice had melted, watering down the taste. "Perhaps we should be polite and not intrude without good reason?"

The invocation of politeness did wonders to get everyone thinking. "What if he has something to do with the bodies?" Chie asked. "I mean, he is that weird bear-thing, we don't know what he can do!"

Midori doubted that from her own encounter. Yet it was Yosuke who provided a counter-point. "Hey! Remember when we were waiting in the station? There were those out of town cops who were discussing that it was looking like a Murder-Suicide, just like people were thinking." He looked at Midori, realizing her relation to the most recently deceased. "Err, sorry."

"Do any of you have any reason to enter the television world, aside from a social call, or to satisfy your curiosity?" Midori asked. When no response came, she laid down the law. "Very well. None of you are to enter that place without good cause, and you will take me with you that I may see this for myself."

Yu thought about that, "I think I understand your position." He nodded, "I agree."

"What?" Yosuke and Chie exclaimed at once. They shared a look, then Yosuke gestured for Chie to speak first.

"We don't need her!"

"No, but she is taking responsibility," Yu pointed out. "And having someone in her position to vouch for what happened could help."

Chie allowed Yosuke to speak. "Eh, that was pretty much my concern. But man, I mean, what do we do about it?"

"We accept that it exists," Midori said. "Then you ignore it as we have nothing to do with it."

"You're way too calm about being told there's a world inside the television." Chie looked at her weirdly – for a moment Midori thought her cover was blown. "But I wouldn't expect anything less from a Queen."

"Are you in agreement then?" Midori ignored the insult, instead focusing on getting everyone's promise to not enter without reason or herself. "Yes, I will take responsibility."

"I agree," Yu said, bowing slightly as he did so, accepting her power over him. After a moment, Yosuke said the same and Chie followed, though she obviously thought this was a bad idea.

"Now that is out of the way," Midori moved past the unpleasant business, "I have homework to work on." She indicated the pile of books that was ignored at her side. "I would like to study in peace."

 **Midori's Room  
** **Evening**

The phone buzzed, and Midori reached over to pick it up. "Hello?" she asked.

"Hello Midori!" Aigis greeted her friend. "You didn't call me earlier?"

Midori wanted to slap her hand to her forehead, but both of them were occupied. She settled by hitting the back of her head against the futon under her. "I'm so sorry!" she apologized as best she could. "It's just things got a little out of hand today."

"Oh?" Aigis replied with a curious tone. "Does it have anything to do with that event?" She didn't specify which, knowing her friend's reactions already. It helped to talk to the others in person when she could.

"A bit," Midori groaned. She gave Aigis a quick rundown on the fact that Yu and Yosuke had improvised weapons on them while at the shopping center, and got arrested for it because the police were not playing games.

"I mean, seriously? A golf club?" Midori shook her head. "It would break after, what, two? Three good swings? And wrenches don't have good grip on them when swinging. He wasn't wearing gloves!"

"Why does it not surprise me that you are more concerned that their choice of weapon is deficient than they actually carried them?"

"Aigis, _Tokyo_." Midori reminded the robot of her own weapon-carrying policy which carried forward into their dorm. "But enough about that! How are you doing?"

"Very well," Aigis replied. "Atsuro began work for us today."

"Oooh!" Midori cooed. "And how did that go?"

"He was understanding of our desire for secrecy when we revealed the connection between Kirijo and the Shomankai."

"I can see that," Midori agreed. "How much are you keeping him out of?"

"We are not revealing the existence of Personas outside the Lockdown to him, if that is what you are concerned about." Aigis moved to allay Midori's concerns. "And I have made it clear to Fuuka and Mitsuru that your name is not to come up in any official capacity. As far as he should be concerned, our relationship is purely social and from school."

"That's good," Midori trusted her friend to keep problems down. "Does this mean he's staying at the Dorm?"

"That hasn't been decided yet," Aigis said. "There is also one thing that I should tell you regarding Atsuro-san."

"Oh?"

"I revealed to him my mechanical nature, so he can understand more about his responsibilities."

Midori's eyes flew open in fear. "Aigis!" she hissed into the phone, "The only reason I am not yelling at you right now is because Nanako is curled up against me and I don't want to wake her." She ground her teeth, then focused on not moving to disturb the sleeping child that embraced her. "Why?"

"Because it was a choice I made, and given that you trust him with some of your secrets, I felt that I could do the same," Aigis replied, pulling on Midori's social strings to enforce her position. "We discussed things, and he has agreed to assist in the secret keeping."

"Aigis," Midori spoke flatly. "Atsuro is smart. Smarter than me. Probably smarter than you. I guarantee you that he's already figured out that I know you're a gynoid." She sighed. "I hope this is worth it."

"After we talked," Aigis announced, "I formed another Social Link."

Midori froze. "Another one? With Atsuro?"

"Yes," the robot confirmed. "He is, to me, the Hanged Man."

And Midori knew she was the Moon. "Um... alright then. Forget what I said about this being a bad idea." Then she realized something important. "Wait. Haven't you formed a bond with Fuuka or Mitsuru, or _anyone else_ yet?"

"No," Aigis stated. "I believe that it is harder to form Social Link connections with people I already know than it is with new people. It took me months to advance with you, whereas it took hours with him."

"Huh. Well, why don't you go make new friends outside of work?"s

"Because I do not wish to exploit a person's feelings for personal gain," Aigis explained some of her ethics. "Nor do I wish to force these things to come."

Midori furrowed her brow, squeezing her eyes shut. "Aigis, I love you dearly. But at this point, I'm going to lay down some instructions here, and I expect them to be followed. You're going into the school Tennis program right? Or at least practicing when the courts are open?"

"Yes," Aigis said. "I haven't decided if I want to join the team formally yet. I have already received one invitation."

"Do it then," Midori said. "Get the chance to meet new people and form new links. You're a Wild Card now. You need that."

"I will."

"Oh, Aigis. Before I go, I have a question for you."

"What would that be?"

"Has Igor or Elizabeth or Theodore contacted you recently?"

"No, why?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it. Please."

"Very well," Aigis said. "I will delete it from memory."

"No, you won't." Midori responded with a smile. "You trust me too much to leave any of my words alone. But I want to sleep now, so goodnight Aigis."

"Good night, Midori."


	5. 18 April 2011 to 21 April 2011

**18 April 2011**

 **Yasogami High School, Class 2-2**

 **Lunchtime**

Once the class was cleared to eat, Chie, Yosuke and Yu got into a conversational huddle, the first chance they had since yesterday to do so in private.

"Does anyone else find it odd how she didn't react?" was Yu's first question posed to the others. "I did the thing with the television, and you two..."

"We were surprised," Yosuke admitted.

"Yeah," Chie agreed. "I mean, you'd expect something!"

"She _is_ the Queen," Yosuke replied. "I mean, self-control is pretty much a given for proper behavior. She could have just hidden it very well."

Yu had a different theory, even if the ideas of the others made sense. "But adding to that was her reaction. It wasn't to try and prove it to the police, or someone in authority. It was 'don't intrude on the home of another without permission'. That's not the instructions I would expect from someone..." and here he had both of their attentions. "If they didn't already know about it."

Chie sat there, stunned. "She... _knows_ about the TV world? Before we did? But how? Why?"

Yu shook his head. "I don't know. But we can't assume that she's ignorant of that place."

"Um, dude, bigger question." Yosuke looked worried. "I mean, you got that Persona thing due to the Midnight Channel and so did I once we got into there."

"Tell me about it," Chie grumped, missing out on the super powers.

"Well, wouldn't that mean that Midori-sempai has that power as well?"

 **Class 3-2**

Midori crouched beside Saki's seat and waited until their eyes met before asking her question. "How are you feeling?"

"Not as tired as I was," Saki avoided answering the real question. "How about you?"

Rolling her eyes, Midori gave off the impression of perfection. "Everything is back under control," she shook her head. "Except for stupid cousins and his friends."

"I heard," Saki said. "The boss at work was _livid_ and I heard him ranting about his son. It was enough to get him to forget about my... day... off."

Midori and Saki shared a moment of silence. "You want to talk about anything," Midori offered, "Just say so. Remember, I'll be by on Wednesday to help with deliveries."

"Thank you," Saki said.

 **Dojima Household**

 **Evening**

Ryotaro kicked off his shoes, calling out "I'm home!" in the process.

"YAY!" Nanako ran out of the living room and across the kitchen to jump into his waiting arms. "You're home!"

"I'm home," he repeated for her benefit, lifting her up and hugging her. "I've got a week off as well."

"You do?" Yu asked from where he was watching the evening news. "What happened?"

"Well," Dojima said, thankful for much, "tomorrow, the official results are going to be announced. Adachi killed himself after the previous death, and the case is being closed." He shook his head. "I've been given a paid week off from work to stay out of the media's lights," he hoped there weren't camera people waiting to ambush his daughter and his nephew. "After that, I go back to work at a desk job until something more long term can be arranged."

"You had no idea, did you?"

"No," Ryotaro admitted as he carried his precious daughter to the living room. "How was your weekend, aside from Sunday?"

"Fine," Yu said. "Midori and her father were good hosts."

"Good. You and your cousin shouldn't be enemies," he put Nanako down and then sat down in the couch as well. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that," he shook his head. "I'll make it up to you this week."

 **Komaki Household**

The front bell rang, and Midori stood up to answer it. "Coming!" she called out, leaving behind homework unfinished on the table in the living room.

She opened the door to see Mari standing there. "Sensei!" she greeted the doctor with a bow. "Come in! How can I help?"

Mari stepped in and took off her shoes. "I came by to check on your elbow," she said, "and perhaps to visit your father as well if he's home."

Midori narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "I'm seventeen," she noted. "What are your intentions with my daddy?"

Mari stared at her for a moment before laughing. "Not what you're thinking!" She shook her head. "No, I was checking in with him because there is some stuff regarding the Shopping District that he should be aware of, but at the same time people are trying to make sure he doesn't know."

"Oh," Midori recognized business for what it was. "Yes, come on in. He's in his office. I'll make some tea for you."

"No, young lady," Mari said sternly. "We're checking your arm first."

Knowing she could not and should not fight this battle to victory, Midori relented.

 **Shirogane Household**

Naoto watched the case involving the death of Tohru Adachi with interest. Any death of an officer was worthy of examination, and on some level or another, the police departments across the whole of the nation were paying attention to the investigation.

Thus, she was able to use her contacts to be given read-only access to the case files, as to observe, but not interfere. Reading them now, she found that the case had been closed, and the results to be announced in the morning.

"Impossible," Naoto said as she finished reading. "The body's condition and position are inconsistent with a suicide, and there is insufficient evidence to suggest that the deaths are related." She wanted to go to Yasoinaba to begin her own investigation, but the reality of her situation held her back. She could not start so soon without raising questions from the police, and she would need to make living arrangements.

There was also the question about why the investigation was being shut down so quickly when the evidence was still in flux. There were too many questions, and the answers were not being sought in the interest of expediency.

At that, she closed her computer down and resolved to make proper preparations to head to that town soon to look into this extremely irregular investigation. There was something there, and she would get to the truth.

 **19 April 2011**

 **Komaki Household**

 **Morning**

With her daddy having already left to return to his work, Midori was alone in the house as she prepared breakfast and lunch on opposite sides of the stove. To her left, on the counter, was a portable tablet tuned to the local television station.

"This morning, Assistant Commissioner Takaya of the Prefectural police announced at a press conference that the death of local police officer Tohru Adachi has been ruled a suicide in conjunction with the murder of Mayumi Yamano. Assistant Commissioner Takaya revealed that the detective and Ms. Yamano" - Midori marveled at the refusal to admit that the deceased worked for that station - "were seen together having an argument at a local hotel shortly before her disappearance."

Then it hit Midori that she wasn't a suspect. That a public announcement like this meant that the police would stick to their errors, and would stop looking deeper.

Her hands were shaking and she found enough control to turn off the stove before she collapsed onto the floor.

She...

She had killed him and no one would ever know.

She felt sick.

 **Yasogami High School**

 **Class 2-2**

 **Lunchtime**

"Hey, Yosuke!" Yu greeted his classmate with a wave. "I got a question for you."

"Sure!" The brown-haired boy sat in his seat next to Yu and opened his lunch up. "What's up? Is this about, you know, Sunday again?"

Yu shook his head. "No, something a bit closer to home."

"Alright..." Yosuke didn't sound convinced.

Leaning in, Yu asked in a low voice. "Just what is up with my cousin and Chie? I don't think I'll get a straight answer out of either of them."

"Ooooohhh..." Yosuke groaned and shook his head. "Girl stuff. You sure you want to hear it?"

Yu nodded. "Got to know if this is gonna be a thing."

"I suppose you're right. Here's the scoop. So, the Vice President moved away for a couple years because of her dad's job. Then they moved back at the start of last year, before I came here." Yosuke started to explain while Yu paid attention. "Anyway, she entered in the second year, in this class actually! And Chie and Yukiko entered in their first year. But because the move back was so sudden, no one was expecting it."

"Yeah, and?"

"Well, you've seen how Chie is protective of Yukiko, right?"

"A bit," Yu said without commitment.

"Well, it seems like there was some sort of girl thing where the two of them sorta fought over who would be the queen of the school," Yosuke shook his head. "For once, I'm glad I started when I did. Anyways, the Vice-President won, probably because she's older and Chie didn't take it well."

Although he didn't see what the problem was, Yu gestured for Yosuke to keep talking. "Now, Amagi-san and the Vice-President, they're cool with each other. No arguments, no sniping, just the usual politeness between two most popular and beautiful girls in school. And the rest of the school accepts that the Vice President is first, while Yukiko-san is second. But Chie? Well, she didn't let it go, and the Vice-President isn't willing to back down either. So they fight, but in that way that guys don't."

"Huh," Yu responded. "I suppose. So there's nothing serious?"

"Serious? Only in their heads." Yosuke looked around, worried for a moment. "Just don't tell her I said that, will you?"

"Promise."

"Good. Anything else?"

Yu pondered asking something more, but decided it was way to personal. "Nah. Let's just have lunch and get through the day."

"Tell me about it. Hey, with the funeral for that cop day after tomorrow, is everything alright?"

Taking a deep breath, Yu calmed himself. "My Uncle is taking it well. He's been given a paid week off, then he's going back to a low-stress position."

"That's good. There are cops from all over coming to town, and I heard my dad complain that with all the hotels filling up, we don't have the right stock for all that."

Yu had no idea how those two things connected, but didn't raise a fuss over it. Instead, he went back to eating his lunch, hoping to get through the next few days intact.

 **20 April 2011**

 **Shiroku Pub**

 **Evening**

Midori thanked Saki for holding the rear door open to the pub as she carried the cartons of alcohol in. "Delivery!" She called out as she reached the back area of the store. The owner, that short woman who changed personalities and stores with night and day leaned in and gestured for them to come up to the front. "Just bring them up here, darlings."

"You sure?" Midori knew deliveries to the front were normally frowned upon, and this order was huge.

"Yes, there are so many police officers, I can't waste time running back and forth!" The old proprietor propped open the door from the back to the front and Midori mentally shrugged before crossing the threshold into the somber front.

It was crowded, more so than she had seen in any store in all her time in Yasoinaba. Putting down her load, she took a second look around before returning to the truck for another load, passing Saki by as she did so.

On her second trip, she heard someone call out her name. "Komaki? Midori Komaki?"

Surprised, Midori put down the drinks and looked up, wondering who in the crowd would be calling her. "Yes?" She replied, watching carefully for movement.

The answer came from the quiet crowd as a familiar face approached. "Detective Kurosawa!" Midori bowed formally to the member of the Tatsumi Port Island police force. "I did not expect you here."

Kurosawa bowed as well, a less formal greeting. "Delivery girl, huh?"

"Part time," she replied, casting a glance at the master of the bar, who nodded. "Thank you for coming."

"There were a few who wished to come," Kurosawa said, "but I was chosen to represent our district." His stern looks were given sharp edges in the light of the bar. "I trust you are alright?"

Midori's face flushed at the memories, but she hid it well. "I'm more worried about Uncle Ryotaro," she said. "Adachi was his partner."

"Uncle...?" Kurosawa paused, then dismissed his immediate concerns. "I shouldn't be keeping you from your job. Please, forgive me."

"I do," Midori responded reflexively. "I would wish that you had a good time in town, but..." she let her sentence trail off. "Thank you for your support." She turned away, then stopped. "Where are you staying tonight?"

"The hotels are full," Kurosawa said. "As it's just one night, I will sleep in my car."

That offended Midori. "No. You're not." She grabbed a napkin, a pen and wrote her address. "My daddy is out of town, so you can use his room. If there are some others in your situation, I can probably fit about five of you between his room and the living room." Opening her doors to police officers like that didn't register as a potential problem, not when she knew one of them. "I'll be done work around 9, and should be home by 9:30."

"Of course," Kurosawa replied, then watched the young Persona-user walk away. He hadn't expected a meeting when he came here as it wasn't related to Shadow Hunter business. But now that it happened, he felt that there was nothing else to do with it, save let it be.

"And how do you know her?" A hushed voice said from beside him. Kurosawa turned to see Ryotaro Dojima standing there, a look of worry and anger on his face. "Because if you were about to do something inappropriate..." He let the threat dangle.

Seeking to disarm the situation, Kurosawa bowed deeply to the local officer. "Forgive me!" He announced. "I am Kurosawa. I interviewed her a year and a half ago during a criminal investigation regarding an incident in her dorm." That was about as far as he was going to admit unless Detective Dojima pressed for more. "She remembered me, and offered me a place to stay for the night out of politeness."

Dojima pondered this, then accepted it. "My niece is a good girl. Damn this all for happening."

"It was an honest offer." Kurosawa admitted. "Forgive me if I seemed out of place." He chose to be deferential to the man whose partner had died out of respect. Nor did he question the relationship of Uncle-Niece when he knew from SEES that she had no such family.

"I'm sorry as well," Ryotaro said, deflating. "It's just been very stressful, and I over reacted. Got to watch out for my niece and daughter. Some of the damned media are trying to get to them, but the others are blocking them."

Being from a larger town, Kurosawa knew exactly what he was describing. "I have dealt with that sort of issue myself," he said with a small smile. "Why don't we compare notes?"

 **21 April 2011**

 **Tatsuhime Shrine**

 **Afternoon**

It was raining and foggy, the damn mud covering the ground of the shrine. Amane did not worry about it, trusting in the Fox to keep clean and anyone who visited the shrine this day to be respectful.

The funeral was done, and the attending parties slowly filtered away from the scene.

Thankfully for her, while she had been asked to consider officiating the service, a senior official from Tokyo stepped in to take care of things. She didn't have to worry about the repercussions of turning down a request from the police, nor having her face on camera as the media covered the funeral.

She still attended, though in a secondary role and was able to keep her face covered. She had no desire to hear from the people in the SDF about ruining her cover, and she found that she could not bear the thought of needing to move away from this town with its charm and...

Yes, she would regret needing to move away from Mari, or Midori. The only ones she could talk to as equals without fear.

Therefore she did what she could without placing herself in jeopardy. And it was enough.

Walking up to the entrance of the Shrine, she saw that the fog thickened outside the low walls that surrounded it. Thinking nothing of it, she turned back to the shrine itself.

The Fox was sitting right there.

Kneeling, Amane fished into one of her pockets for a treat for the spirit that guarded the shrine. "How are you doing today?"

The fox didn't reply with words, but did accept the offering before walking past Amane and resumed sitting – this time at the very threshold of the shrine. Amane looked up and past it, wondering just what the Fox was watching out for.

 **Central Shopping District**

No, they could not get to her without getting past the god that guarded that place.

There would be better opportunities, that was known.

 **Dojima Household**

 **Yu's Room**

 **Midnight**

He had watched for the Midnight Channel every night for the past week, and tonight looked like it was going to be another dud. Even though the conditions were right. Rain. Fog.

But at the moment midnight came, his television flickered to life.

 **The Midnight Channel**

"Worship me! Let me lead you, and you shall find yourself in the Garden of Everlasting Joy! In service to something greater than yourself will you find the bliss of Angels! Fail, and you will find the torment of Demons!"


	6. 22 April 2011

**22 April 2011  
** **Yasogami High School, Class 2-2  
** **Lunchtime**

"Dude! Did you see that last night!" Yosuke eagerly started talking to Yu once lunchtime came around.

"I did," he replied. The Midnight Channel. "I think it's showing real people."

"Come on man," Yosuke objected. "It's supposed to show who our destined partner is."

Yu shook his head. "That's just a rumor. No, it showed Midori and Konishi-san last week, and they went missing for a day or so, right?"

"Come on, you think that they have something to do with the TV world? That they had gone in for whatever reason?"

"Hey guys! Watcha talking about?" Chie got into the conversation loudly, Yukiko standing behind her.

"Uh..." Yosuke glanced at Yukiko. "Stuff. Like what we talked about on Sunday?"

"Oh, that?" Chie sat in her chair and opened up her lunch. "That was weird last night. I mean, it looked like one of those temples you see on TV." She paused at her own meta-reference. "I mean more so. Huge and extravagant."

"Uh... Chie? Amagi-san is _right there_." Yukiko raised one hand in greeting as Yosuke pointed her out.

"Oh? Yukiko? She's cool. I told her everything!" Chie admitted as she tore into her food.

"You what?" Yosuke hissed. "Why would you do that?"

"Because she's my best friend," Chie replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "So, what are we talking about?"

Yu decided to move past that and back onto the subject at hand. He also realized he was about to hand a weapon for Chie to use to her. "The Midnight Channel showed someone last night, and we were talking about who."

"And he thinks that last week showed the Vice-President and her friend from the liquor store," Yosuke pointed out.

Chie thought about it for a moment. "Yeah? So?"

"What if the Midnight Channel shows people in the TV world?"

Chie shook her head. "Didn't show us when we went in," she objected. "Unless you think being in at midnight does the trick?"

Yu shook his head. "There's more to it than that, I'm sure."

"Well, why don't we go check it out? Show Yukiko at the same time!"

Yosuke saw the problem. "We promised, remember."

Sighing, Chie roller her eyes. "What she doesn't know can't hurt her."

"It would be rude to go back on your word," Yukiko said gently. "If there is a problem, invite the Vice President along as is proper."

Yu and Yosuke shared a look. "Chie, remember that point we raised about the Vice President on Monday? Wouldn't it be better to find out sooner, rather than later?"

Chie thought that over. "You're right. That's a great idea!" She enjoyed the possibility of showing the Vice President up, that she could unravel her secrets with ease.

Yu saw that eagerness, and suspected that he needed to intervene. "I'll contact her, and we can meet up somewhere after class to decide our best move."

Yukiko put a thoughtful finger to her lips. "I wonder if everyone who goes to that place gets this 'Persona'. Perhaps we should invite everyone in!"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Chie said. "I mean, who knows what would happen?"

 **Class 3-2**

Yu politely knocked on the door frame, then apologized as he entered. It was easy to spot his cousin, with her unique hair color. He had observed that she was pretty much the only person in the school with such a vibrant shade, which he supposed was one of the keys to her popularity. "Vice-President?" he asked, bowing again. "May I speak with you for a moment in the hall?"

"Of course," Midori responded, making polite excuses to her own circle of friends. "What is this regarding?"

"About the incident on Sunday," Yu said, wary of his audience. "There is a follow-up."

He watched as the air around the Vice President darkened. It wasn't a physical thing, but the way she went from 'Midori' to 'Vice President' was stark. "Outside," she stated, and he stepped back out of the room and then fell in behind her as she walked down the hall, past the central staircase and into the Student Council room, which was empty. "Talk."

Yu explained what he saw on the Midnight Channel, and his conclusions regarding what had happened last week and what he saw the night before. He watched to see if the older girl reacted in any untoward manner, but her face was locked into a perpetual frown, one that hid her emotions behind an impervious command of her and everyone and everything around her.

Honestly, it was kinda intimidating, and he really hoped that he would never have to bear the full brunt of that. But he could also see that she was thinking hard about the situation. "Five PM," she finally said. "The Junes electronics department is a known location, so we will go there."

"Why so late?" Yu asked.

"I need to check to see if Amane is really missing," Midori explained. "And for the rest of you to gather supplies."

"Um, what do you mean?" Yu asked again. "We got caught with weapons last time."

"Then don't bring them!" Midori snapped. Then she mastered herself again. "No. Do so, but don't make it obvious. Don't bring a golf club. Bring a whole bag of them if you have them. Or a mop or heavy broom."

Yu nodded. "I understand," he said. Then he wondered how Midori knew so much about fake weapons.

 **Central Shipping District  
** **Daidara Metalworks  
** **After School**

Chie stood proudly in the doorway as her friends and Yosuke wandered through the store. "Right? Am I right? Of course I'm right!" she proclaimed as they took in some of the 'special' wares that the old man who worked here was willing to sell.

"Reinforced heels for the young lass," the metalworker grinned before turning on a stern face. "Just promise me you aren't going out to pick a fight with someone with all this?"

"No," Yu said. "It is our hope that we don't have to fight at all."

 **Komaki Household**

No matter how much she tried, she couldn't find or get a hold of Amane. Midori had to presume that Yu's supposition was correct, even as she tried to reject it. If the Midnight Channel, that world on the other side of the television, was the cause or the effect of the missing people, then she had to find out.

She was also terrified of the thought of going into there, and as she stood in front of her closet, hesitated before taking what she needed. Changing out of her school uniform, she switched into something more athletic. The loose pants and running jacket would do good. Frosty was placed in an inside pocket, for she knew that going into that place, she would have to fight. There would be no avoiding it.

Finding her police baton, she strapped the heavy but familiar weight to her back, hiding it under the elastic belt of her pants and the lower hem of the jacket.

And further back, behind a barrier designed to keep her daddy out through clear labeling, and Nanako out by being too big and heavy for her to move, there was a small box. Hands shaking, Midori pulled it out and opened it.

Akihiko's Evoker lay there, on top of the shoulder holster. Seeing the men of SEES put it on and off so many times, in addition to her Uncle wearing one under his jacket, she knew how to put it on.

So she did.

 **Junes Electronics Department  
** **After School** **  
**

Midori closed her cell phone, leaving the device on, even though she knew that she would not get reception in the other world. Her COMP would, she was certain, but it would be good to check that out once they were on the other side of that place.

"Call?" Yu asked as he and the other three stood neat the entrance to the department. They were all in their school uniforms, while Midori stood out in her track suit. She stuffed the device into a pocket and zipped it up.

"One last check to see if Amane is around," Midori said as she took their appearances in with an eye to practicality. Yu was leaning on a heavy plastic mop, one with a screw-on head. Yosuke wore a tool belt with various heavy metal objects on it. She couldn't tell what Chie and Yukiko had on them, but that was alright. Her own weapons were hidden.

"Great! We're all here! So, how do we do this?" Chie asked, excited at the prospect of going into that new place, even as Midori felt otherwise. "We just jump in, right?"

"We should be careful," Yu cautioned. "We don't want people to know what we're doing."

"I suppose," Chie agreed even though she sounded disappointed.

Midori figured she just wanted to show off, and dismissed the concern. "What about you, Yukiko? Are you sure you want to come?"

Chie looked indignant at the statement, but Yukiko responded for herself. "Chie is going, and what sort of friend would I be if I didn't trust her?"

That was good enough for Midori, who turned her focus to Chie. "Good. A fight happens, you get her to safety. No showboating. No grandstanding. No playing _hero_. You get Yukiko to a safe distance. Understood?"

"Protect her! I can do that!" Chie agreed.

"Can we just do this? My pants are threatening to fall off!" Yosuke complained.

"At least you went to the bathroom first this time," Yu said with a smile, causing his classmate to groan.

"Just...! Just let it go already!" Yosuke complained even as he tried to hide his shame from Midori.

"Drop it," she confirmed. "Let's go and see if Amane is in that place, or if I have to start making interesting phone calls to people I would rather not have to call." The possibility that some remnant of the Shomankai had found their Head Priestess was still in the back of her mind. But given the options, she was really hoping that Amane was really in the world on the other side of the television, as that would probably be the safer option.

"Like who?" Chie said, obviously prying.

"People you really don't want to meet," Midori replied with enigmatic annoyance. "Let's go."

Taking the cue, Yu led the small group to the back of the electronics department where the large LCD screes were housed. After checking around for unwanted observers, Yu checked the television by placing his hand against the screen. It went in. "Come on," he whispered. "I'll hold the door open, and everyone gets in."

Yosuke didn't have to be told twice as he stepped into the television, the screen rippling as he did so. Midori thought nothing of the visual display, instead encouraging Chie and Yukiko forward.

Once it was just her and Yu, she stopped in front of the television. She wasn't worried about being trapped. She could use her COMP to call for help this time. "Let's hope this is done quickly," she muttered, then bent over to step into the television.

 **The Midnight Channel  
** **Teddie's Stage** **  
**

Midori was not expecting the drop into the Midnight Channel, so when she landed, she crashed rather than properly rolling with it. Thankfully, her delay to talk with Yu for a moment meant that the others had gotten clear.

Then she realized that Yu would be coming in right after her, so she rolled to one side, ignoring the complaints of her knees. She wasn't young and invincible like she used to be.

He landed with ease and aplomb even as Midori stood up. "We're all here?" he asked in concern.

"I'm here," Midori replied even as she looked around, trying to see through the fog. "No one told me about the drop."

"Sorry," Yosuke tried to apologize. Midori could see him now, as well as Chie and Yukiko.

"What are you apologizing for?" Chie asked him harshly, causing Yosuke to wilt a little under the glare.

"Is there any sign of Teddie?" Yu asked to forestall the confrontation between Chie and Yosuke, even as he got the feeling that it wasn't necessary. Just a typical argument for them. "I don't see him anywhere."

"You can't expect him to be here waiting for us," Chie noted. "I mean, he could be anywhere."

"He could be right behind you, sneaking up on you like a real bear!" Yukiko said with a giggle, then schooled herself into a straight face. "He is a bear, right?"

"He says he is, but he's more like a mascot character than anything," Chie replied as she looked around. "The fog is too thick. Yeesh!"

"Hey BEAR! WHERE ARE YOU?" Yosuke yelled out, trying to get the attention of the local inhabitant of the Midnight Channel.

Midori took the moment in which people were trying to summon Teddie to discreetly check her COMP. The battery was charged, and she had a signal. With relief, she put it back into the inside pocket of her blazer and rolled her shoulders against the unfamiliar weight of the Evoker. "Without Teddie, do we even have an idea where to begin looking for Amane?"

"Teddie! Hey! Bear! Show yourself!" Chie called out, ignoring, or perhaps not hearing Midori's comment.

"Mister Teddie! Where are you?" Yukiko added her voice to the call for attention.

Midori didn't mind being ignored. It gave her time to think and to look around. She didn't have much time to do either the last time she was here. It was easy now to see the curtain that served as a backdrop for the stage that they stood on. Above them was a square bracket of lights that shone down on the edges of the stage, casting the entire thing in a soft, fog-diffused glow. There was a small bridge that led back to the curtain.

To her eye, it was like one of those comedy show stages, where the audience could surround the presenter. But that meant a whole lot of nothing, except she was certain that no place like this existed in town.

As she was thinking, the more creative part of her made the connection that 'Teddie' was short for 'Theodore'. This promptly overrode all her serious thoughts and replaced them with the mental image of the uptight Velvet Room attendant dressing up as the stuffed bear they were looking for. It brought a small smile to her face.

That reminded her of the last time she was in the Velvet Room. She looked around at Yu and Yosuke, each of whom professed to have a Persona. Were Igor and his employees aware of them yet? And weren't they going to call her once that girl was awake? That was months ago!

"What's so funny?" Yu asked her.

She wiped the smile away. "I'm sorry. It's just I know a person named Theodore, and I'm just imagining him dressed up like a bear. There's no way he would do that."

Yu shook his head, then went back to calling for the person they hoped would be their guide.

Midori's thoughts turned serious again. Did Amane have her COMP? Probably not, Midori mused. She hadn't seen one on her at all since she moved in. She had tried to email her via it earlier, but there was no response. And in the interest of keeping certain facts secret from the kids around her, she wasn't planning on advertising its existence. She knew the Song of Hope was playing, though she also knew it would not affect her Persona.

That raised another concern. Would this Teddie be affected by it? Was he a Demon of some sort, and therefore the Song was keeping him away? That would not be good at all. She frowned at the idea that she had unwittingly sabotaged their help and escape route in her efforts to be prepared.

"I HEAR YOU!" The familiar voice of Teddie came from the fog, shorting out her thoughts and concerns. "What are you doing here?" He modulated his voice down as he got closer, enough that Midori could see more than an outline through the haze that surrounded them. "I told you all to leave!"

Midori was further away from the approaching bear, so it was Yu who got to him first and started to explain things. She listened patiently from the back of the group of humans as her cousin patiently told Teddie about the images they saw on their televisions and their fears that someone had come into this place.

"We're here to get her out," Midori spoke up once Yu had finished speaking. "Amane doesn't belong here, and we're here to find her and get her out." She recognized that there was an implicit admission that Amane was here, but there was nothing she could do about that.

Teddie looked at her with narrowed and suspicious eyes. "But you came back! How do I know you're going to keep your word?"

It was like dealing with a child, Midori recognized. She got down on one knee and looked Teddie in the eye. "Because if we kept our word where people were in danger, who would save them?" she said gently. "Helping people isn't the job of one person, but of many." She held the gaze of his comically oversize eyes, "No matter how brave or mighty, people need and get help from their friends and equals. So we all came because we want to _help you_ do the right thing. If we can do that, if we can work together at finding out who is doing this, to rescue everyone from the Shadows, then we can all find and punish the person responsible."

Teddie blinked, but he was unable to turn away as he was held in place by the force of her will. "Really?"

"Of course!" Midori grinned with a tilt of her head. "Your problems are our problems. And if we can't help you out, then what worth have we?"

"A... alright," Teddie turned away. "I think I know what you're talking about. It's a new smell."

"I don't smell anything," Midori said without rising. "What does your nose tell you?"

"That there's someone new here," Teddie replied. "I might be able to find it. Find the source, I mean."

"I believe in you!" Midori offered encouragement. "You smell out Amane, or whoever is in here, then we all go to the rescue and celebrate!"

"I'll try for you!" Teddie lifted his nose and started to sniff at the air. Midori stepped back to give him some room to work, and to keep her smell – whatever it is – out of the way.

"That was something," Chie begrudgingly said.

"Try impressive," Yosuke said instead, earning him a sour look from his classmate.

"You were very nice to the bear," Yukiko said with pride in her senior and sometime role-model.

"Not what I meant, Yuki," Chie muttered to herself.

"I have the scent!" Teddie announced with pride and determination. "It is this way," he said as he pointed into the fog. "Come on!"

"Wait!" Yu called out in concern as Teddie started to walk away. "We can't see through the fog! We don't want to get lost."

"What do you mean, you can't see?" Teddie stopped and turned around, even as the humans tried to keep him and the stage in sight.

"Just that," Yu replied. "The fog is too thick. Don't get too far ahead of us, or we'll get lost."

"But I can see through it just fine!" Teddie objected.

"Dude! We'd be, like, totally lost!" Yosuke said loudly. "I can barely see you this far away!"

Teddie was silent for a moment. "Um... really?"

A chorus of "Yes!" was his response.

"That's sad." Teddie said mournfully. "But... I think I might be able to help!"

"Really?" Yukiko said from where she hugged close to Chie. "That would be nice."

"Then I have just the thing for you!" Teddie swung around and reached to his side, like he was going for a pocket. But Midori knew he didn't have one there, so she was even more confused when he now had something in his hand with a grand "Tah-dah!"

"Those are joke glasses," Yosuke said as he looked at the black-framed lenses with the comic nose and eyebrows glued onto them.

"Hey! Are you insulting my artistry?" Teddie snapped with an angry look on his face.

"Chie, put them on!" Yukiko ignored that and instead pointed at the glasses. "I want to see!"

"Um... sure?" Chie plucked the glasses from Teddie's hand, leaving the bear and Yosuke to glare at each other. She put them on. "Holy crap, I can see!"

"What?" Yu asked.

"I can! It's like the fog isn't there any more!" Chie took off the glasses and handed them to Yu. "Look!"

Yu took the glasses, reaching between the two who were still glaring and growling at each other. Midori would have intervened, except no harm was coming from it and she was more interested in the fog-clearing glasses.

Yu put them on. "Yeah, I can see." He passed them to Midori who held the comic glasses over her own lenses to look through them. The fog was gone when she did. She passed them to Yukiko who in turn put them on. "Excuse me, Teddie?"

"What?" Teddie responded without backing down from Yosuke.

"Hehehe..." Yukiko started to giggle, causing everyone to stop and look at her. On her face were the glasses. "These are so funny!"

"Oh no..." Chie groaned. "She's started."

"Started what?" Yu wondered.

"She's laughing," Yosuke groaned, conceding his staring contest with Teddie. "And she's not going to stop for a while."

"You like them?" Teddie asked the laughing Yukiko, who by this point had doubled over. "You really like them?"

"This is a thing?" Yu wondered aloud. Yukiko's fit caught Midori off guard as well. She had never seen or heard of that before.

"I'd say she does," Yosuke muttered. "Yeah. She finds something funny and she just doesn't stop," he replied to Yu. "Chie told me about it months ago after something happened, but this is the first time I've seen it in person."

Seeing how Chie and Yosuke weren't worried, Yu turned to Teddie. "Hey Teddie?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you make more of those?"

"I don't know..." Teddie looked to Yukiko. "What if her laughter becomes un-bear-able?"

Yosuke shook his head. "I think she'll adapt."

"Well, I could, but it would take some time," Teddie admitted.

Midori had an idea. "What if you already had glasses to work with?"

Teddie thought about that for a moment. "I could do that even quicker!" He turned to face Midori. "Why?"

Midori pulled her glasses off – between her own farsightedness and the fog, she could not see anything clearly, let alone at the range everyone else was at.. "Because if it can be done quickly, we can do it now while Yukiko is recovering." Teddie took them and started to to examine them with a 'hrm' and a 'huh'.

"Wait." Yosuke was staring at her. "You wear glasses?"

Midori's face froze. She did not want to think about what he just said.

Apparently the heat she was putting out was physical from the way Yosuke backed up, only to bump into Yu. He reached out with a calming hand onto Yosuke's shoulder. "Be very careful about what you say next. Your life could depend on it."

With a gulp, Yosuke broke and turned away, leaving Midori to simply shake her head sadly. "Teenagers," she commented to no one in particular. This was no time to hold onto petty and accidental insults.

"This will take some time," Teddie announced. "But I can work on them as we walk!"

"Please," Midori said. "And thank you."

Yu had somehow regained the glasses from Chie and Yukiko, though he did not put them on. "Shall we be going then?"

"Actually, I have a question." Yosuke fell in behind Yu and raised his hand. "Teddie, how come you can see?"

"Me?" Teddie puffed himself up with pride. "I have contact lenses for my un-bear-ably beautiful eyes!"

"Trying too hard for the pun," Chie muttered as she kept an eye on Yukiko.

"That makes sense." Yosuke admitted. "I think."

"Well then, come on!" Teddie announced as he started to walk back into the fog, glasses in hand. "We don't have all day!"

Yu popped on the glasses, regardless of how they looked. "Are you alright, Midori-sempai?" He was a bit more formal than he usually was, given that he could tell that she was having problems focusing on anything.

"I'll be fine," Midori replied as she faced the Yu-shaped blob. "I'll stay behind you though, until Teddie is done."

"Hey!" Chie yelled out as Yukiko recovered and she could divert attention away from her friend. "What happens if we get attacked?"

"You run," Midori responded instantly. "Yu, Yosuke and myself can fight."

No one missed that, Chie least of all. "You _do_ have a Persona!" She made her accusation with joy.

Midori had no idea what made her say that, except that it was a lucky guess. "Really? You take me reminding you that you promised to get Yukiko-chan to safety, and take that as an admission that I have _superpowers_?" Well, she did. But that wasn't the point. Instead she turned that into an admonishment. "Stop making stupid mistakes like that, and recognize that I am the oldest person here, and I am taking responsibility for your actions!"

She may have been a little harsh in retrospect, but that didn't really matter. She wanted to remind Chie of her own commitments and the differences between the two of them. Chie's angry face showed that she would accept the orders of her superiors, however much she didn't like them or her.

"Please don't argue," Yukiko said, trying to be the voice of calmness between the other two. "It won't help us rescue the Priestess."

"Hmph." Chie snorted, but fell in behind Yosuke while leading Yukiko by the hand. Midori stayed close behind, keeping an eye on the Green and Red in front of her.

Through the fog they walked, for what seemed like an eternity to Midori. All her senses were dulled, and she refused to prove Chie right by summoning Frosty to keep her company. There would be time for that later if the Personas used by Yu and Yosuke were not up to the task.

Then she mentally slapped herself. She had completely forgotten to ask them more details about their Personas! She knew the name of Yu's from their conversation earlier in the week, and that it used Zio skills. And she had less information about Yosuke's own Persona. Were either of them Wild Cards?

With thoughts occupying her mind, plans formed and discarded, she almost didn't notice when the red and green shapes in front of her stopped. In front of them, rising out of the fog, was a wall. A huge, red wall that stretched as far as they could see to the right and to the left – though to be fair, it wasn't that far for her.

Yosuke walked up and tapped it. "A wall? It sounds like wood," he reported.

"The source of the smell is from inside!" Teddie announced with excitement.

"I believe you," Chie said as she craned her neck up to try and spot the top of the wall. "But how do we get in? Up and over isn't an option."

Yu put his left hand against the wall. "We walk around until we find an entrance." He started to walk, and the other five in the group started to follow.

"Um, why are you using your hand, Yu?" Yosuke questioned. "You've got the glasses."

Yu stopped and looked at his hand. "It felt right."

"Well, don't get a sliver," Midori stated. "How is everyone holding up?"

"I am fine," Yukiko said. The others agreed with her. "Are you tired?"

Midori shook her head in the negative. "No, but I have to look out for all of you."

It wasn't long before they came across a door. Set into the smooth red wall, the gargantuan wooden edifice was rectangular. A good thirty feet wide, metal bands ran across the planks that made up the door, holding it in shape. Giant hinges appeared on both sides which showed that perhaps the doors should be able to move.

One of them had been already, it seemed. The right one was cracked open enough to allow everyone to squeeze in one at a time.

"This place is weird," Yosuke said what they were all thinking. "It's like an oversized temple or shrine wall."

"The smell is from inside!" Teddie pointed out as he started to force himself through the gap. "Come on!"

"Well," Midori sighed, "this settles whether or not Amane is here." There was something about this place that unsettled her, like it was familiar, but she couldn't place it. "Don't go too far ahead, Teddie!"

"What makes you say that?" Yu asked her.

"What? Teddie is obviously trying to rush ahead!" Midori answered as she slid through the gap.

"Not that, I meant about the priestess being here."

"It's a temple wall," Chie pointed out from the outside. "She had to grow up somewhere, right?"

That comment caused Midori to remember where she had seen this before. It was the outer wall of the Shomankai compound in Tokyo writ large. That didn't speak well for what they might encounter on the inside. But then again, she found Saki in a fake Central Shopping District, and now Amane in her old temple. Was there a pattern here? She needed more information. "You're right," she confirmed Chie's guess without spilling the details. "I've been here... once before? I think? Not enough to know my way around."


	7. 22 April 2011 (2)

**The Temple**

Once everyone had entered, they looked around the place. "Whoa." Yosuke said in awe as he took in the large statue that Midori recognized as Amane's father that stood in the middle of the lobby area. She didn't remember that, but then again the only time she met the man was in the minute or so before he was eaten by his 'god'. That wasn't a good memory, so she tried to forget about it.

"Hey Teddie?" Yu directed his attention to the bear. "Are Midori's glasses done?"

"Oh? Oh! Those! Yes! They've been done for a while now," Teddie didn't seem ashamed by his admission. "They're a very nice shade of purple."

"Thank you," Midori said politely while at the same time annoyed at being denied her sight. ""May I have them back please?"

"Sure!" The bear handed them back to Midori, who slid them on and saw the world inside the television clearly for the first time. "Oh, that is so much better!" She gave him a respectful bow. "Thank you, Teddie."

"You're welcome!"

She looked around the entrance in more detail now. A tiled floor stretched from the door behind them to a pair of curved stairs that led up to the second floor behind the statue of Amane's father. To the sides, the walls held oversized and distorted paintings of figures from the cult's history, though Midori didn't recognize any of them. Amane's own face was absent, but she didn't credit that to anything. Other than that, the six of them stood in a loose circle before the door.

"Whoa!" Chie gaped. "This place is even bigger than I thought!"

"It is, but it is also very empty," Yukiko countered while pulling a fan out of her sleeve. Midori caught the glimpse of metal on the edge of it and considered the possibility that it was a weapon of some sort before dismissing it as foolish. "And very quiet."

Everyone was silent for a moment before Yosuke whispered. "You didn't jinx it, did you?"

"Let's go," Yu commanded, taking charge when he saw that Midori wasn't about to. "Yosuke, you're with me. Teddie, can you fight a Shadow if we encounter one?"

"No! I'm scared of them!" The bear objected loudly. "I can stand back and support with my knowledge though!" He seemed to shrink into himself at the thought of fighting.

Yosuke looked at him. "You're a bear! You have claws, don't you?"

"Hey! Don't force him to fight!" Chie came to Teddie's defense. "It's not proper!"

"I agree," Midori ended the argument. "Chie is correct. If necessary, I will aid you two."

"But you don't have a Persona!" Yosuke objected. "How can you fight?"

Midori reached under her jacket and pulled out her trusty weapon. She pointed it at Yosuke. "With skill," she replied sternly. He gulped at the intense look she gave him before she put the weapon away.

"Where were you hiding that?" Chie demanded. "I didn't see it at all!"

Midori responded by turning her back and lifting the back of her jacket to show how she held it out of sight. "Like that. What about you? Are you armed?"

Yu readied his weapon, which encouraged Yosuke to draw his from his appropriated belt. Chie started to hop back and forth. "I can kick!" She punctuated that with a sharp strike into the air, showing off the shorts under her skirt.

"Acceptable, but running should be your first priority," Midori said. "Keep Yukiko safe."

"I know, I know," Chie muttered.

Yu took up the role of leader again, leading the way past the statue and up the left side stair case. The two sets of stairs met at the top as expected, before another, smaller pair of doors. These ones had a generic flower carved into them, which was a nice touch after all the religious stuff they had seen so far.

"Careful!" Teddie warned. "I smell Shadows on the other side!"

Midori frowned, ready to summon Frosty. But she was still thankful for the warning and watched as Yosuke and Yu went up to the door. "I don't hear anything," Yu said quietly.

"The nose knows!" Teddie reiterated his position.

"Trust him," Midori sided again with the bear. "He's from here and he's proven his nose is sensitive enough to find this place."

"Alright," Yu agreed after a moment of consideration. "Yosuke, we open the door on three and charge, alright?" Yosuke nodded. "One... Two... THREE!"

The two boys yanked open the door, and Midori's instincts told her to charge even as the other two went through the gap. Her stomach churned when she saw the Shadow on the other side, the first actual one she had seen since the Abyss.

A Maya-type formed as it rose up in front of the two defenders. "You can ask me anything," Teddie called out from beside her. "I know things!"

"What do you know?" Yu asked as he cautiously advanced on the Maya. Midori refused to charge past him to show off how weak it really was.

"I remember that one is weak to electricity!" Teddie replied instantly. "Zap it!"

"Why can't I do that?" Yosuke knew that the eyes of the girls were on him so he postured a bit. "Jiraiya!" He yelled out with a flourish, summoning his Persona. The white-clad humanoid with the helmet or head of some sort of insect formed over him and threw a gust of wind into the solitary Maya before vanishing.

Midori was reminded all too well of Junpei at his worst, and hoped she could break those bad habits before they became ingrained. She even remembered that Zio tended to be paired with Garu on easy Shadows in terms of weaknesses and resistances, and her memory was confirmed with Teddie's sad announcement. "It resisted that, Yosuke. Better luck next time?"

Yu followed up with his own Persona. "Izanagi!" This time she paid more attention to the act of summoning itself. She thought that she saw the flash of a card similar to the one hidden in her clothes, but could not be certain. No, her attention was taken by the appearance of the Persona itself, the blood draining from her face as Yu's Persona was eerily similar to Adachi's. Just... cleaner. Like it was something that was _right_ in the world, and not against it.

A flash of light, the sound of thunder, and the Maya vanished under the blow. The fight was done.

"Wasn't that awesome?!" Yosuke cheered himself on. "Man, Jiraiya is so cool!" He ignored his own failings just as Junpei used to do, and Midori doubled down on her resolve to fix that. Where could she possibly find a girlfriend for him to start maturing over?

"We're not done yet," Yu reminded him. "Come on, the way ahead is clear."

Yosuke strode ahead, head held high as the others filed past the door and into the Temple proper.

The walls of the Temple were the same as the lobby. The hallway they were in stretched ahead out of sight, even for those with glasses to see through the fog. "Damn," Yosuke muttered. "Hey Teddie, can the rest of us get specs?"

"Specs?" Teddie was confused.

"You know? Glasses?" Yosuke said in annoyance.

"How would he know that?" Chie objected.

"Now, now," Yukiko tried to calm her friend down. "There's no need to fight."

"Hey, Midori-sempai? Can I borrow yours?" He turned to the other person with clear vision with a hopeful expression.

Midori looked at Yosuke with a completely dumbfounded look on her face. "Really? You know I don't wear these for the fashion, right?" To be truthful, it _was_ a factor in frame choice, but the lenses themselves?

"Well, please?" It seemed to her like he didn't get the hint.

She knew exactly what was going to come next. Other people had tried this in the past, and the result was always the same. She pulled off her glasses and handed them over to Yosuke, who slid them on without too much trouble.

"Gah! What is this?" He tried to look around, but couldn't see a thing. He pulled off her glasses and found Midori's hand waiting patiently for them. "How do you see with those on?"

"Perfectly," she retorted. "Never had a friend with glasses before?" She returned them to their proper spot and enjoyed a return of the visible world.

"Not like that!" Yosuke objected.

"How bad is your vision normally?" Yu asked as they came up to the first corner in this place.

"Bad," Midori replied with deliberate vagueness. She poked her head around the corner. "And two more Shadows."

"You are way too calm with this," Chie stated. Midori ignored her for a nice change of pace.

Yu and Yosuke made quick work of the Shadows, this time one of them was weak to Jiraiya's Garu attack, giving the younger of the two second-years a confidence boost. "That's my true strength!"

Midori refrained from comment.

They wandered deeper into the temple, exploring side rooms as they came to them. Midori wondered where the treasure chests were. Remembering them from the Abyss and Tartarus, she hoped that the ability to stock up on supplies during their expedition would arise.

But then that would also imply that this place was closer in structure to those other places than she would like. As long as she kept herself under control though, she was certain she could make everything come out alright.

Another couple fights with Shadows and the two fighters got into a rhythm which helped reduce the tension in the party. With the apparent ease in defeating the Shadows, Yosuke tried to get Yu into a game of 'who could beat up more'. "Come on, partner! We're doing awesome! There's nothing that can stop us!"

"For now!" Chie snapped, looking around for a threat to her or Yukiko. "What if something new comes up?"

Midori knew she could still step in if necessary. "Then we all run away."

"Pfft. Whatever."

"No, Yosuke." Yu stated calmly. "We have to rescue the priestess first, remember?"

"Yeah! Man, think she'll be grateful?" Yosuke's thoughts obviously went to video games where the princess needed rescue, and was grateful for it.

"Keep it in your dreams," Midori warned. "She's not like that."

"Oh," Yosuke deflated in disappointment. "But we can try, right?"

"Look! Stairs!" Yukiko interrupted. "It looks like they are going down!"

"Careful!" Chie got in front of her. "I'll go first, to make sure nothing dangerous is ahead!"

"Very well," Yukiko allowed not only Chie to go first, but the two boys. She stayed with Teddie and Midori for a moment, then followed them down.

They emerged in another hallway. "Great. How far does this go?"

"I don't know," Teddie spoke up. "But I smell something weird nearby."

"Amane?" Midori asked.

"No, something different." Teddie sniffed the air, trying to find something to explain the sensation with. "But it's close."

"On your guard then," Yu commanded. "It could be anything."

They carefully walked down the hallway, but nothing emerged until they reached the end. Another door stood there, with the flower motif in the middle. Midori could swear that it wasn't the symbol of the Shomankai, but wasn't about to put money down on that.

"Careful, it's on the other side!" Teddie warned everyone as he growled from his position of safety.

"Well, there's only one way to find out what it is," Yosuke stated with confidence. "You ready, partner?" He indicated the door with a nod, weapons in hand.

"Right behind you." Yu readied his mop, and the two of them got ready in front of the door, while the others stood back. "Three..."

"Two!"

"One..."

"NOW!" The two burst through the door into the room beyond. It was circular, more like a meditation chamber than anything else. They party piled in, looking for the Shadow to attack.

"Hello," Yukiko said from the middle of the room. "Are you my Prince Charming?"

"Bwuh..?" Yosuke was first to respond. "But.. .Yukiko!" He pointed at the one behind them and then at the one in front of them. "Other Yukiko!"

"You're not my Prince Charming!" The other Yukiko said flatly and sourly. "Begone!"

"Dude," Yosuke whispered to the others, "Is this like my Shadow?"

"oooh!" The real Yukiko stepped forward, closer to the other her. "My name is Yukiko, who are you?"

"I'm Yukiko!" the red-dressed mimic exalted. "You're the fake."

"What are you talking about?" Chie yelled out. "You're the fake! Yukiko hasn't left my side since we got here!"

"Oh, you poor, poor girl," the other replied. "You really think you're my Prince Charming?"

"What are you?" Yu asked.

"I am the true self!" The other Yukiko said joyfully. "I am everything that the faker is not. And I am looking for my Prince Charming." She approached Yu in a manner that had to be an over-the-top parody of a sensual slink, from one who had only seen it performed and never done it in real life.

"Yeah, I don't think so," Yu replied diplomatically as he backed away. "I just got here."

"But you're perfect! Tall! And handsome!" She advanced faster than Yu could back pedal, though he was also reluctant to fall back too much and risk her getting mixed up with the rest of them.

Out the side of his eye, he saw Chie guard the real Yukiko, Yosuke looking for some sign from him as to his next action, and Midori fixing the fake with a look that could only be described as a combination of lethal and disappointment – if such a thing was possible.

"How about you?" The fake turned on Yosuke, who not having Yu's composure flailed about as he tried to back away. "Are you my prince?"

"Um... Maybe?"

At his verbal misstep, Chie snapped at him. "No you're not!"

"Are you?" The shadow turned on Chie, causing the young tomboy to freeze. "You _are_ a Prince, right?"

"Stay back!"

Midori had enough. She stomped over to the fake Yukiko and grabbed her by the upper arm, swinging her away from Chie and the others. "Stop this," she hissed, no longer impressed by this. The thing that impersonated Saki was far more than this, "Shadow. Do you even know what you are?"

"You are not wanted here," the fake looked her in the eye, all pretense of being a Princess gone. It was a change that Midori was not expecting, but at the same time didn't react to. "Leave."

"Make me," Midori hissed. She was in no mood for a game with whatever this thing was. She had more confidence in this situation than previously, and she also was more focused on the necessity of rescuing Amane first.

The shadow yanked herself out of Midori's arm with a strength that she knew the real Yukiko didn't have. She changed her face to resemble the 'Princess' that greeted them. "Well," she said loud enough for all to hear. "You're no Prince. And I will not tolerate your presence any longer!"

The Shadow pranced away, headed for the door opposite the one the humans and bear arrived through. "I shall leave you my Knight to entertain you with," she stated with a bow before leaving the room.

In her place, appearing in a shuddering column of light was a large Shadow, one that looked like a knight fused to their horse, but both horse and rider would be invisible to the naked eye.

"Yosuke!" Yu called out, more at home with fighting monsters than arguing with a Shadow. "With me!"

"Right!"

Midori let the two fight, although she kept an eye on them in case they needed help. Teddie was crouching, arms over his head as he sobbed. Seeing this, Midori angled toward him to figure out what was up. "What's wrong?"

"Am I not a Prince?" Teddie sobbed out as the sounds of battle echoed in the room.

Midori faulted. That was not anywhere near what she was prepared to work with. "I'm sure I interrupted it before it got a chance to call you a Prince," she smiled a bit as she turned back to check on the two fighters. It galled her to turn her back on a fight, but she trusted them to fall back if necessary.

"Really? You think I'm a Prince?"

Midori wondered if Teddie even knew what a Prince was. It was just a hunch, but she refused to ignore it. "Don't you think so?" she asked with the intention that Teddie take her tone as a 'of course!' response.

"Really? I can be a Prince?"

"Sure!" Midori had no idea how, as she was pretty sure the Royal Family didn't have a daughter of marrying age, let alone one that would do more than scream and flee in terror at Teddie's presence. "You can be a Prince if you want!"

"Oh thank you!"

"Some HELP HERE!" Yosuke yelled out as the Knight swing its lance around, "This guy's tough! Teddie?"

Midori snapped around and saw that the two of them were being pressed back. Yosuke had some form of healing skill – probably Dia, she thought – and was busying keeping the two of them healthy while Yu tried to carry the offense by himself.

That just wouldn't do.

Midori drew her weapon in a smooth motion, pulling it free of holster and jacket with no flourish, no yell. From crouching in front of Teddie, she accelerated to a run in a mere three steps, pushing herself to get into the fight as fast as she could.

The Arrogant Knight saw her with its non-existent eyes and recognized her intent. It swung around to face her with its lance, intent on impaling her with it when she dodged. The lance stabbed through the empty air beside her as she put both hands onto her weapon and swung with it against the side plating of the 'horse' portion of the Knight.

Her strike was true and she felt the force of it flow into the off balance Shadow, knocking it to one side where gravity took a hold and dragged it to the ground. "Come on!" she yelled at the other two fighters. "Pile in!"

Yu and Yosuke had no hesitation to jump onto the Knight, culminating in a ball of violence that resulted in the three humans being ejected from it as the Knight regained itself.

"You shouldn't be here!" Yu tried to warn Midori off.

She glared at him, a gesture that told Yu that she would not be dissuaded from this fight. "Yosuke, can you keep up with Jiraiya?"

"Yeah, I can." Yosuke said with a brave face. "You alright with this?" He directed the last at Midori who shifted her gaze to him for a moment before returning to the Knight. He quailed at the intensity of it before it was turned away from him. "Guess so," he muttered.

Yu watched Midori as she joined the fighting line. She stood hunched over, her legs braced wide while her hands loosely gripped her weapon. It was a classic ready stance from Tennis, he recognized, then made the connection to her club at school.

He was willing to let her fight, even though she had no Persona. There was something about the way she held herself now that she was in the thick of it that spoke to experience, another question that should be answered eventually.

Yu stepped up next and invoked Izanagi, hitting the Shadow for some electrical damage. "Not bad, but it's not weak to that!" Teddie called out, cheering them on from behind. But the Knight was starting slump down, a visual sign of its injuries.

Yosuke was next, and he copied Midori to hit the thing physically with his weapons. The one-two hit the armor, and knocked it to one side, preventing it from attacking Yu directly. "Come on, it's almost done."

Midori refused to summon Frosty. It wasn't needed, she told herself. She could do this without him, she told herself. She needed the practice of fighting without him, she added to the litany of excuses.

It didn't matter, as with her providing a third target, the Shadow was quickly overwhelmed without further danger to the other two. As it evaporated into the blackness, Midori found herself the center of attention as she expected.

"That was awesome!" Yosuke was naturally trying to gain her favor, but she dismissed the notion. "You were like 'Oh no you don't!' and then 'WHAM'!" He swung with his arms to mimic her first swing.

"Where did it go?" Midori shut Yosuke down, instead focusing on the goal at hand.

"It escaped," Yu said. "How about you two?" He faced Chie and Yukiko. "Are you alright?"

"What about me? I'm a big tough bear, you know!" Teddie angrily interjected.

"You didn't do anything!" Yosuke objected.

"We're fine," Chie said over the Yosuke-Teddie argument that was brewing. She looked at Midori. "You really are that good?"

"I'm better," Midori said flatly. It wasn't bragging, she simply made that statement without concern for the opinions of others. "But you two did good."

"Will you be fighting in the future?" Yu asked her.

"What was that thing?" Yukiko demanded at the same time.

"A Shadow," Yu answered before Midori could. "Something that thinks its real."

"And it likes to say things you might think, but wouldn't believe in." Yosuke shuddered at the memory of his own encounter. "Like it accused me of being greedy and way too needy."

Midori had no frame of reference for that. "Then why was it claiming to be a Princess looking for a Prince?"

"You're the Queen," Yosuke said quickly before withering under the looks from Midori and Chie. "Shutting up now."

"I don't know what it was talking about," Yukiko said. "I don't need a _Prince_ of all things."

"NOOOOOOOO!" Teddie exclaimed. "And I wanted to be a Prince!"

The others looked at him. "You want to be a Prince?" Yukiko asked.

"Yes! I was the only one who wasn't told was he was one!" the bear fell to his knees and started to cry.

"I wasn't either," Midori said consolingly.

"Well, you're obviously not a Prince," Teddie looked up at her. "Yosuke called you a Queen!"

"Do you even know the difference you stuffed moron?" Yosuke insulted the bear for his aggravating ignorance. "Get a clue!"

"WAAAAHHHH!" Teddie started to cry, earning Yosuke disapproving looks from everyone else.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He tried to backtrack an apology into existence. "You can be a Prince! You can be all the Princes! Ever! Just stop crying? Please?"

Midori turned her attention away from that interplay, and back to Yukiko. "Are you feeling alright, Yukiko-chan? You don't look well."

"Its words hurt," the young school princess replied. "They bit far more than they should have." She shook her head. "I am better now."

Midori looked to Chie for confirmation, and got a nod. "Very well. Whatever that thing is, we still have to save Amane – and the possibility of something like that for her wandering around does not fill me with joy."

Reminded of that, a sour pall fell over the group. "We should get going," Yu said. "We can deal with that Yukiko later."

"Right," Chie said firmly. "And I'll help kick it in the face for pretending to be Yuki!"

"Yukiko, would you be alright if Chie joined us in fighting?" Yu asked nicely.

"I..." The heiress of the Amagi Inn paused in consideration. "Can we see?"

"Sure!" Chie finished off the conversation. "But don't worry, no matter what, I'll get in some hits for you!"

Everyone in agreement, they advanced further into the Temple.


	8. 22 April 2011 (3)

**The Temple  
** **Third Circle** **  
**

The second 'level' of the Temple was longer yet smaller than the first. It was like they were moving both inward into the Temple while at the same time going down, much like a cone. The first layer was wandering and meandering, yet the second was full of tight turns and small rooms – plenty of chances for ambushes both for and against the advancing party.

Chie had not yet joined them in fighting.

Midori refrained from using Frosty, instead conserving her strength in that regard. That and it appeared like Yu and Yosuke had that well in hand. She didn't feel right in revealing him casually, and the more she kept him a secret, the less she felt like revealing him. There would be a time and a place for that.

At the end of the circle, they stood before another large set of doors. This one had a larger bas-relief of a flower set into the doors. Midori stood before them, and when Teddie's nose announced that there was nothing on the other side, she pulled them both open at the same time.

Before them was a vast vista, the internal garden of the place Amane had been taken to. "Pretty..." Chie whispered, and the others agreed as they took in the sights.

Midori felt something different. She knew this place.

The large open field bounded by flowers, the gargantuan Sakura tree at the far end...

This is where they fought Jezebel. This is where her Black Frost waded through a lake of fire to pluck Amane from the grasp of Jezebel, and where she had aided Black Frost, Abel, and Izuna in putting down that Demon, Abel claiming her power to reinforce his ascent to the throne of Bel.

And looking down, she could see the figure of Amane kneeling before the tree as though in prayer.

"AMANE!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, her fear made open. "GET AWAY!" She leaned out over the barrier that prevented her from jumping down the two stories to the garden below. "RUN!"

The figure didn't react. Midori pulled back, not willing to waste more time on a foolish attempt to try and break her voice. She spotted the doors leading further into the maze. "Come on!"

"Whoa!" Chie said, running in front of her. "What's up with that reaction?"

Midori wanted to tell her the truth for just one moment before the reality of her situation returned to her. She told a lie instead. "The last time we were before that tree, it was burning." She pushed past Chie without breaking stride. "And she shouldn't be there. Evil is in that tree."

"Evil? What evil?"

Midori stopped and looked at Chie with no emotion. "Pray to whatever gods you hold dear that you never find out."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said." Midori stated again. "Let's go." She dismissed Chie with a turn of her body and leaned into the door leading further into the Temple.

"Hey!" Chie yelled. "Don't just walk away from me!" But try as she might, she could not bring herself to restrain Midori. There was something in the way she walked that spoke volumes of the violence she would bring upon anyone or anything that stood in their way.

No, Chie found herself thinking. In _Midori's_ way.

Her observation was borne out by the first Shadow that had the horrible luck to cross their path. Midori charged into it before the other combatants could even get themselves ready for the fight.

"Midori-sempai?" He didn't use the more casual honorifics in the face of her determination. "You should wait for the rest of us."

She stopped, but it was only to look at Yu. "You don't know. We have to move. The sooner, the better."

"What's going on?" Yu prodded, pushing his courage. "Why the rush?" He saw Midori refuse to answer him with her words. There was a conflict there that was easy to see, how she wanted to speak what she knew, but at the same time could not. And he had no idea what could cause her to stop doing something. She was the kind of person to forge ahead against all odds.

"We just need to get there and get her out," Midori refused to answer as she inspected her weapon for any impending flaw before putting it away.

Unable to find the means to object further, Yu nodded at Yosuke and the two jogged to keep up with her. Chie, Yukiko and Teddie followed at a safe distance.

The second Shadow they encountered was another Maya type, and Midori held back as Frosty didn't have the element to exploit. "Yosuke, Garu." Yu commanded, recognizing this type of Shadow and its weakness.

"On it! Jiraiya!" Yosuke invoked his Persona and whipped wind at the flailing thing before Yu and Midori tag-teamed it down with their weapons.

Yu relaxed as the Shadow was destroyed, but as he watched, something else flipped through his sight.

"What the?" He muttered as he shook his head clear of the... whatever it was. A new Persona? "What?"

"Something wrong?" Yukiko asked as Teddie complimented Yosuke and Midori on another fight well won.

"I don't know." Yu looked up in confusion. "I thought... it was weird. Like a roulette in my head."

"What do you..." Yosuke tried to get an answer out of him, but saw that Midori was already on the move. "Damn. Later."

"Right." Yu felt well and decided to raise the issue if it became a problem again. "Pixie?" he muttered to himself. "What?"

"Come on!" Teddie called out. "The girls are going ahead!"

Yu picked up the pace. There would be time to figure that out later, he hoped.

Like the previous circle of the Temple, the third one was lower, and more tightly packed. The rooms were smaller, but it was after their third turn when Yukiko made an observation. "Isn't the garden in the middle too big?"

"What do you mean?" Chie responded. She knew that Yukiko had a better sense for such things thanks to her training at the inn.

"I mean we're wandering around in a space that should fit inside that garden." Yukiko thought about it for a moment. "Oh, it looked so beautiful! I hope we find it soon."

"Yeah," Chie muttered while checking on the older girls' progress. "I think that'll be sooner, rather than later the way she's going."

"You sound annoyed."

"I am!" Chie hissed. "She's all rude and then commanding, and she's hiding something. I want to know what!"

"You shouldn't pry, Chie." Yukiko tried to calm down her friend. "We need to focus on saving the Shrine Maiden first."

"Yeah, yeah. Rescue first." Chie grouched. "Got it."

The next door they checked once again opened into a small room, and before Midori could dismiss it as empty she saw the small chest in the corner. "What's that?" Yosuke asked.

"Oooh! It contains ~ _treasure~_!" Teddie called out. "Open it! Open it!"

At his urging, Yosuke approached the closed chest. "Don't we need a key, or something?"

"It just looks like a latch," Yu observed. "I think it's safe."

"This explodes in my face, I'm blaming you," Yosuke retorted as he bent before the box and gently lifted the lid. "Uh," he said as he looked in it. "What's this?"

"That," Teddie identified, "is a drink to restore your strength!"

"A... health potion?" Yosuke was confused. "This isn't an RPG!"

Midori refrained from comment. "Are we done here? Keep it in case you need it later."

"Yes, sensei." Yosuke replied automatically to the command. He stuffed the object into his pocket.

That she was completely unfazed by the existence of that object was not unnoticed, but no one was willing to call Midori out on it.

A couple more battles later, some chests and they finally reached the stairs down. "Last one?" Yosuke hoped.

"I hope so."

"Careful!" Teddie called out. "I smell that fake Yukiko-chan ahead! And there's another one as well!"

That announcement caused everyone to stiffen. "Get ready," Midori grumbled as she locked her gaze on the steps. She could see the bottom, and this would put them on level with the garden. "We deal with those Shadows and then the rest."

"We're ready," Yu said. "Lead on."

Midori descended first, weapon ahead of her as they crossed over the threshold of descending darkness and into the lights of the first room.

"Well, who do we have here?" The false-Yukiko said as she waited for them in the middle of the room. In the time it had taken the rest of them to get to this point, she had changed out of her school uniform that mirrored the real Yukiko and into an elegant light pink dress in the style of a European Princess. Her hands were crossed in front of her and she had a beautiful – but empty – smile on her face.

She turned away slightly, a rejection of their presence. "You are too late. I have found my Prince."

"Who?" Chie demanded. She put herself between the real and the fake.

"Why don't you introduce yourself, my Prince?" The Princess called out in a loving voice, turning a bit further to look behind her.

Chie strode out from behind the princess Yukiko, clad in armor. "Are these the plebeians who offend you, my lady?"

"WHAT?" The real Chie screeched, causing Yosuke and Teddie to wince. "Who are you?"

"Why, I am the real you," the knight replied with a smirk. "I am her servant, her protector, her..."

Chie interrupted. "SHUT UP!"

"Oh, the truth hurts?" the Knight replied, standing beside the Princess. "Don't you want to be here? To defend her?"

"Oh give it a rest," Midori snapped. "You're just a pale shadow of the real person. Out. Of. My. Way."

The Princess turned to face her. "Oh, mighty Queen, you should not concern yourself with such lowly existences as ourselves. You do not need to be here. Return from when you came." Yet she did not move.

"Yes," the Knight added, "concern yourself not with us. Leave us alone."

"What." This came from Chie. "What the hell!"

"Dude, this is whack," Yosuke noted quietly. "Was mine like this?"

"Not really," Yu said, wondering how this would all play out.

Midori refused to back down. "Why are you here?"

"Because we were invited," the Knight said, moving closer to the Princess. "Don't you think we're lovely."

"No!" Chie objected. "Get away from her! That's wrong!"

"What are you objecting to," the Knight gazed askance at the real her. "This is what you want."

"No!" The objection came stronger.

"I don't need a Prince," the real Yukiko stated flatly. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I speak the truth!" The princess replied. "I am the truth of you, that which you reject. I am worthless without her."

" _We_ are the truth," the Knight clarified. "I want to protect her, to love and and be loved in returned."

"You're lying!" Chie and Yukiko cried out at the same time.

"I don't know what you're thinking, but I don't need someone to stand beside me."

"I don't want that from her!"

The two humans shouted their rejections simultaneously. Yu's face drained of blood. "Oh no, not both of them..."

Yosuke took a moment to catch up. "Can we do this?"

"Yes! Reject us!" "Empower us with your futility!" The Princess and the Knight accepted the refusals with joy. "We shall overcome you and become the real you! We are the real you!

That flagged Midori's reactions. She had heard those words before, and for a moment she hesitated, unsure of _how_ this had sudden relevance to Metis, except that she knew what was going wrong. How had she been so blind?

"Don't do it!" she yelled out. "Don't force them away!"

"Shut up!" Chie spared those words for her. "That thing isn't me!"

"No!" Yukiko agreed. "You're fakes!"

The Knight agreed. "Stop getting in our way!"

Midori knew the endgame. She had been here before. Time to skip the stupid parts. "Everyone! Follow me!"

With no further warning she propelled herself into the midst of the two Shadows. They may have had their differences from Metis, but some things remained the same. At the perfect moment, she put her foot forward, converting her forward moment into a lateral strike – her baton slammed through the air and into the Knight's face.

Pulverizing something that looked like Chie and sending it spinning to the ground was nowhere near as cathartic as it should have been, but Midori didn't really think that, just another mote of irrelevance as she started the battle.

Before the Princess could respond to the savage blow, Midori snarled as she followed through the first blow and punched her in the face. There was a slight pang of regret, but she had to do this. This was going to be an up-hill battle. She knew it in her bones and she would need every advantage she could get, no matter how fleeting.

"Midori! Stop!" Yu yelled out, trying to find some way to reign her in.

"Dude! She ain't gonna!" Yosuke said as the Princess and the Knight recovered. And they were now grotesquely deformed. And growing. "Oh shit."

Midori fell back, watching the transformation with no emotion except that this fight would not be against things that looked like people. Which made her feel just a little better. "No one hurts them on my watch," she stated as the two finished. She was a magical girl. She would respect the sanctity of changing one's form.

Where the Princess stood, now a cage hung in the air, held aloft by the flapping wings of the burning bird trapped within. Midori pegged it as some sort of Pheonix from the time Aigis used it, though this was far more red than the vibrant yellow-orange of that Persona. And caught in a cage.

In front of it was a marionette of a knight, strings hanging down from the same vague location that held up the burning cage. It was both feminine and not, clad in armor yet trying to appear seductive in posture – a thing that could not occur thanks to the nature of the Shadow.

A captured bird, beautiful and burning; a warrior on strings trying to be multiple things at once. It was something to think about, but there was no room for those thoughts.

"What is this?" The Bird screeched in Yukiko's voice. "Intruders! Knight! Dispatch them!"

"Yes, mistress!" The Knight spoke in a hollow echo of Chie's voice.

Yu and Yoskue moved up beside Midori. "Why did you have to do that?" Yosuke complained. "Start a fight?"

She didn't rise to the bait. "Get used to it."

"Here they come!" Teddie announced. "This'll be tough!"

"Midori!" Yu yelled out as he saw his cousin stare down the monsters that arose in front of her with no fear. "If you're hurt, fall back! We can handle this!"

"Yes!" The marionette of a knight called out. "Flee before me."

For a moment, Midori looked like she was about to launch another verbal assault on the Shadows, and Yu feared for her life in the face of these things.

Then she smiled. An honestly joyful look crossed her face. She pulled herself up like a great weight had finally been removed. "Really? You don't know anything. Let me introduce you to Frosty!"

Yu didn't know what was about to happen, but Midori summoning a Persona was not high on the list. But she did just that. From her chest the tell-tale signs of a Persona coming into being emerged, but unlike him and Yosuke, there was no 'card' that symbolized their power. It was a simple command, and one that showed him that she was a lot stronger – and a lot more knowledgeable than she had let on.

There was a pang of betrayal in his heart, but he ignored it for now. There would be time for questions and explanations later.

Then the sensation of _evil_ hit him. The Persona she invoked was small, it didn't even come up to her waist – unlike Jiraiya and Izanagi which were larger than their summoners, and definitely larger than life in their presence.

That did nothing to hide the sheer malevolence radiating off of it. Looking at it, the evil little Persona simply stood there for a moment, black and purple with a yellow highlight on the forehead. Then the red mouth opened into a grin. "Bufu!" Midori commanded and the demonic Persona jumped up to about Midori's full height, a chunk of ice forming around one hand. It threw it like a javelin at the two Shadows before falling back to the ground.

His eyes instinctively tracking the motion, he flicked around to follow the path of the frozen shard as it cut cleanly past Chie's Shadow and into the cage containing the bird that was Yukiko's. It exploded on contact with the wing, and the Shadow screamed in pain, crashing to the ground as it could no longer lift itself up.

"What the..." Yosuke tried to say, but could not finish his sentence as Midori took the moment she gained through her stunning reveal to direct her attention to the Knight.

"Agi!" She commanded her Persona, and this time the small thing curled a ball of fire in its hands and pitched it straight at the still-standing shadow.

The fire dispersed on the chest-plate of the shadow, but it was still harmed by the attack. "pfft," Midori hissed through closed lips. "Can't exploit them both."

"You hurt the Princess!" The Knight called out in rage. "You shall pay for that!" It focused power on itself and it became apparent that the Knight had grown stronger.

Yu waited for the oppressive force from Midori's internal self to go away, but it refused to. Instead, her 'Frosty' took up a guard position in front of her while she kept an eye on the two Shadows.

Yu shook himself free of the dread for a moment. The bird was down, and the knight was still up. He knew the importance of knocking everyone down. "Izanagi!" He too invoked his own Persona, and it responded with a bolt of lightning into the armored figure. "Yosuke! Use Garu on the knight!"

"Uh..." Yosuke had not yet recovered from the aura Midori and her Persona put out. "Right? Jiraiya!" He too brought forth his Persona and directed it to attack the Knight. The gust of wind rolled off the frog-ninja, and into the Shadow, picking it off the ground and dropping it to the floor as though its strings were cut.

"Good going!" Teddie called out from behind. "You can beat them both up!"

"No!" Yu barked out as he saw Midori ready to jump in.

"Why?" She demanded.

"Because they'll waste time getting up," he replied even as the two of them did. "You focus on Yukiko's bird. Yosuke, focus on Chie." For a moment, he expected Midori to argue with him, but she didn't.

"Careful! They're ready for you!" Teddie warned, even as he pulled the insensate Chie and Yukiko away from the fight. "Fight!"

Indeed, the Knight recovered first and fixated on Midori. "You're holding her back!"

With a motion far too fast for its bulk, the Knight pulled back with the lance in hand and stabbed at Midori. She tried to dodge, and while she and her Persona avoided the sharp point of the lance, they couldn't dodge the sharp jerk to the side that Chie's other side gave to its weapon, hitting them both in the side and sending them sprawling.

"Midori!" "Sensei!" "No!" Yu, Yosuke and Teddie all reacted to the heavy hit, the oppressive air gone as the Persona vanished under the attack. However, Midori was able to slowly pry herself off the ground and back into a standing position.

"Maybe I should have started fighting earlier," she gave herself some recrimination out loud. "I need to get back into shape." She shook her head, then started to wobble. "Oooh..."

"Yu! Dude! What do we do?" Yosuke called out as their initial plan went away. "She's totally out of it!"

"Keep it up!" Yu commanded. He remembered what the voice told him, and the results of his roulette. Mentally, he called to mind the image of the other Persona, the one granted through victory and chance. "Pixie! Dia!" The alternate Persona emerged from the sea of his soul and flitted about before flying over to circle the injured Midori, blessing her with health and then vanishing.

"Dude, what?!" Yosuke yelled. "How did you do that?"

"Ignore it," Midori stated as she recovered. "If you can't do it, focus on your own strength."

Yosuke shut up, and instead focused on knocking down The Knight again before it could strike again. Another blast of wind hit her, though the Knight refused to fall down. "Oh, come on!"

"Why can't you leave us alone?" the Bird called out. "I will have to punish you!" The cage with the trapped entity rose higher into the air as it pushed its wings harder and harder. "Burn!" From the wings came embers, glowing hot as they descended on the three fighters.

Midori welcomed the heat with open arms. She knew Frosty would protect her, even as she felt the pain of their presence. It would be worse without him. But Yu took the blow hard. Midori remembered far too late that the Pixie demon – and the Persona that was based off of it – was weak to fire.

Yosuke weathered the attack between the two extremes the others showed. "Heal him!" Midori barked out, working on a plan to distract the other Shadows while Yosuke did his thing. It was nice to have two healers, but she still felt like she could do more. She was horribly out of shape when it came to combat, and knew without a doubt that if she hadn't tried to let her skills lie, she would have this fight in hand without the need for the other two.

On the other hand, she wasn't about to deny them the experience either, they needed it as much as she did, especially if this was going to be a recurring thing.

She didn't want it to be a recurring thing, but knew better. The reporter. Saki. Herself. Now Amane. Someone or something was doing something, and it was more than just Adachi.

Once her head was back on, she re-summoned Frosty. She had plenty of strength left for that and quickly threw a pair of freezing spells at the creature born of Yukiko's mind. It did plenty of harm to the wings, but for all her effort, she couldn't land a solid blow on the body of the creature. It was just too far away for a good shot.

"You hurt me!" It called out, angry and afraid. "Prince Charming, aid me!"

"I am, oh Princess!" The Knight replied as it took aim at Yosuke. "Let me deal with these interlopers once and for all!"

"Come, my Prince!" The Bird ignored the Knight, and a cloud of smoke rose from the ground.

"Not another one..." Yu bitterly said as he mentally switched back to Izanagi.

When the smoke cleared, the 'Prince' stood there, a wooden looking doll with a powdered wig and formal suit.

"What is this?!" the Knight was angry. Really angry. "I thought I was your Prince, not this faker!"

Yu looked Midori and Yosuke in the eyes, and they all agreed – back up, recover and let this play out.

"Oh, you are my knight. But you could never be my Prince. You are far to uncouth for that." The Princess Bird didn't sound apologetic at all.

"I am!" The Knight objected. "I am your prince!"

"No, you are not. You are simply in my way, and when you are gone, I will go on."

"Oh crap!" Yosuke yelped as the Knight spun around, not watching where the tip of its weapon went. It jumped up and down in a parody of an angry bounce. "They're turning on each other!"

Midori watched, fascinated. "That's new," she observed.

Yu cast her a glance, but said nothing.

"Hey guys!" Teddie tried to get their attention now that the Shadows were fighting among themselves. "Over here!"

"What is it?" Yu kept an eye on the growing fight, but did pay attention to the bear.

"It's these two!"

"Oh man! Chie and Yukiko are out of it?" Yosuke approached the two girls who were laying on the floor. "Are they awake?"

"No! You need to beat the Shadows first!" Teddie explained, reaffirming Midori's experiences with Metis and Aigis.

"Didn't this happen with you, Hanamura?" she looked at Yosuke.

"Um... yeah...?" Yosuke replied while very nervous. "Say, could you kinda... your... Persona?"

Oh, right. She had Frosty out now. At a mental tug, he jumped into her arms so she could carry him and keep him around to defend in case things went south. "Yes, I have one. What of it?"

"He's kinda scary." Yosuke explained. "Like, really freaking me out here."

Midori's self-control slipped for a moment, confusion on her face before she realized what was wrong. "Oh! No." She rejected the request out of hand. "I'm keeping Frosty out in case we need to jump back into the fight." She looked back and saw...

The Knight was yanking on the Bird's wings. It was... sad in a way, but she couldn't assume anything at the moment.

"Besides," she explained with her back to him so she could focus on the fight, "you get used to him very quickly."

"But!"

"Yosuke!" Yu interjected. "Not the time."

Trusting in the other student, Yosuke nodded. "Sure, whatever you say." It helped if he didn't have to see that demonic thing. But even as that was the case, he could see the connection. One's Persona was a reflection of their inner self, right? So what did it say about the Vice-President that hers was a tiny ball of hyper-violence and material dread?

His self-preservation instincts told him that maybe he didn't want to know.

Teddie stood guard over the two girls. "What are you waiting for? Beat them up!" He indicated the Shadows, and didn't show any sign of fret in the presence of Midori and her Persona.

"We're waiting on them to finish," Yu explained as he knelt to check on the Chie and Yukiko. "Then we jump back in."

"Grrr..." the bear growled his frustrations. "Shadows shouldn't behave like that!"

With nothing to say in response to that, Midori simply kept an eye on the battle. The Prince.. the thing that the Bird has summoned was destroyed already, speared through by the Knight's lance. They were more fighting with words and insults at this point – less than blows. It was curious to watch, as her experience with such things was limited to Ryoji and Metis. And they certainly never interacted.

Yosuke took her distraction as a chance to whisper to Yu, yet at the same time, trusted her to alert them when it was time to get into the fight again. "Dude, what do you mean, 'not the time'?"

"We still have those Shadows to deal with," Yu explained just as quietly. "There will be time for questions later – like how long she's known about this place."

Yosuke saw the wisdom in that. "And not when these two are out of it," he indicated Chie and Yukiko.

"Right." Yu nodded in agreement. "Please, Yosuke, don't antagonize her at this point. We still don't know what else my cousin is hiding from us. Like what it means that I have multiple Personas."

"Oh man, that's going to be a mess of a conversation," Yosuke lamented. "You think anyone else knows?"

Yu shook his head. "Too early to tell."

"Guys, they're winding down," Midori called out, knowing those two were talking behind her back, but not caring. "Get up here."

"Yes, Vice-President!" Yosuke yelped as he was summoned. "Ready and waiting!"

"I'm here," Yu announced as he pulled up on the other side of her. "What's happening."

Midori gestured with her head at the two Shadows. "Look at them."

Indeed, the Bird was now tattered, the cage it was in now sporting several bent bars, leaning to one side as the Shadow within could no longer support it evenly. Chie's Knight had several holes in its armor, and burn marks everywhere.

"Wow," Yosuke muttered. "Those two went at it."

"Thank you for the obvious," Midori snapped at him. "I'll take down Chie with Bufu. Hanamura, use Garu on Yukiko."

"You mean Yukiko's Shadow for Ice, and Chie's for wind?" Yu gently corrected her.

"Yes! That's what I meant!" Midori was flustered, but accepted her error.

Yosuke was already in motion, bouncing into the fight quickly. "Jiraiya!" Midori quickly followed up with Frosty. "Bufu!" Finally Yu waited to see what was happening before reacting as needed.

With the solid plan in place, the three of them were cheered on by Teddie as they slowly finished off the fight. With a large portion of their strength exhausted on each other, the two Shadows could not work together to save themselves from the repeated and decisive attacks from the humans.

The Bird went down first, Midori's greater strength coming into play as she and Frosty bombarded it with ice. It fell, screeching and crying out as the cage broke around it. The Knight went down right after, Yosuke's constant beatings with Yu's occasional help finally taking its toll on the armored puppet.

"Guys! Guys! They're awake!" Teddie called out for attention as the battle finished. Midori grimaced as she inspected herself for injuries – she couldn't expect to get away unscathed with her undone experience holding her back. But aside from that first major hit, she seemed to have come through alright. Frosty protected her from the worst of the burning embers.

"Chie? Yukiko?" Yu sounded worried for a moment, but reigned it in. "Are you alright?"

Although they were defeated, Midori remembered that Metis was still active. Just her more monstrous form was beaten out of her.

"What happened?" Chie groaned as she pulled herself upright. "I remember that thing saying it was me..."

"Well, you and Yukiko were sleeping together, so we decided not to interrupt," Yu said with a smile, attempting to troll them a little into action. "We fought the Shadows," he indicated Midori and Yu.

Chie looked back and forth, then her gaze fixated on Midori and her Persona currently at her side. "WHAT IS THAT?" she yelled in shock, bringing Yukiko to wakefulness in the process.

Midori dismissed Frosty with a thought, removing him and his affect on people not used to him. "Frosty," she replied curtly. "I'll explain later. Right now, your Shadow – Shadows –" she corrected herself given that Yukiko was starting to stand. "We've done our part, but the rest is up to you."

"What are you talking about?" Yukiko asked before Chie could get a word in edgewise. "I thought..."

"You have to talk to them," Yu interjected before more harsh words could be spoken. "They are a part of you, given form by this place. You need to talk to them, and accept that they exist."

"But..." Chie focused on him for a moment. "I mean... I... Yukiko?"

"Chie..." Yukiko looked ashamed. "Please don't hate me. The words it said..."

"They're true," the Princess said, this time without the violence or vehemence that marked her earlier words.

"We are you," The Knight agreed.

Midori stepped away, letting the four of them see each other clearly.

"I am a little jealous," Yukiko whispered. "You can do so much Chie."

"But you have so much!" Chie objected. "You're so much more than me."

"I just want to be there with you," The Knight added.

"I don't want to use you," Yukiko and Chie said at the same time. Then they stopped awkwardly as they both recognized that they said the same thing at the same time. "You first," Chie said.

"I... want to be more like you," Yukiko said softly. "I want to learn to be strong. Can you help me?" She looked to Chie, then her Shadow. "If this place brings out the best and worst in us, I don't want to let you down."

"Sure!" Chie moved to hug her friend, though the action was quite lethargic. "I can do that. And can you teach me to be a better person too? I don't know what I need to learn, but that -" she pointed to the Knight with her face, "is not something I want to end up as."

"I think we can help each other," Yukiko confirmed. "We're best friends, always."

The two of them turned to their respective Shadows, all thoughts of a fight gone. "Will you help us?" Yukiko asked.

"Yeah," Chie said a bit more hesitantly. "I mean, you're us, right? I'm not someone who can go beating up myself all day."

Midori thought she heard just a bit of that directed at her, but decided it was her imagination instead. Yet she watched the interaction with some curiosity as she could be a little more emotionally detached than when Aigis and Metis had their row.

No, she wasn't trying to find ways to avoid answering the inevitable questions once they had regrouped. They still had to rescue Amane! She could keep them focused on that for now while she figured out what to tell them, and more importantly, what not to.

The latter was a lot bigger than the former.

Her worry was cut short as her attention was diverted back to the interaction between her two underclassmen and their other selves. They had apparently vocalized their acceptance that there was some port of them that they didn't like, and they shouldn't reject them, which was still the same as Aigis' experience.

Then the Shadows were gone, and two new Personae emerged. "Tomoe." "Konohana Sakuya."


	9. 22 April 2011 to 23 April 2011

**Temple, Third Ring  
** **The Television World  
** **22 April 2011**

"Ugh..." Chie grunted as she dropped to one knee, Yukiko leaning on her. "I'm exhausted."

"If Yosuke was any indication, getting your Persona is tiring," Yu explained though he still didn't know about him, and his cousin's origin was even more mysterious. He looked back to her. "We can't go further today, not with the way they are."

Midori flicked her eyes from Yu to the two girls who were barely standing. Then at Yosuke and Teddie. She could see his point. "But Amane..."

"We are in no position to save her if we can't protect ourselves!" Yu objected with a bit of force. He didn't mean to, but it just came out that way when he saw that Midori was about to try and override him. "They need to rest and recover, and then we can _all_ come back and save her!"

"And if her Shadow gets to her first?"

"It won't until the weather changes," he said.

"And how do you know that?" Midori challenged him.

"I was told so by a man named Igor." He replied, snapping out a response.

Midori was incredulous. "You? You talked to Igor?" She shook in frustration. "No, of course you did. You're a _Wild Card_." She turned on him, bringing the power of her spirit to bear. "And what's the name of his assistant?"

"Margaret," Yu stated firmly. He had no idea that she knew who that man who appeared in his dream would be, and how his cousin knew him.

"Looks like you have a secret to tell me as well," Midori said. "Fine. If Igor said that, I'll believe _him_."

"Um," Yosuke said. "Who is Igor?"

"Someone very important, but can not act directly," Midori explained without saying anything. "I might tell you more later. Until then, grab one of the girls, and carry her. I'll take the other. We are leaving."

"We are?" Teddie asked. "But I've never been outside!"

"You don't have to come with us if you don't want to," Midori watched Yosuke hesitate before supporting Chie under one shoulder. "But Yu is right, we should come back later when everyone is 100%." She bent down and lifted Yukiko up, carrying her in her arms. She was pretty light, she noted, but then dismissed. "We trust you to lead us back to your home stage and safety. I believe in you!"

Even though she felt she put on a bit thick, Teddie responded well. "Right! I will protect you all with my claws!" He turned and started back through the Temple to the entrance. "Follow me!"

 **Teddie's Stage**

Carefully, they all emerged from the television. Yu went first, then Yosuke and Chie before Midori sent Yukiko through into the arms of her friends. "Teddie," she said as she turned back to him, "forgive us, but we will come again soon. I hope we can depend on your help." She bowed deeply, then stepped backwards through the televisions that he had summoned and back into the world of Humans.

 **Junes Department Store**

The five of them stood in a loose circle in an out-of-the-way location, the younger two girls still recovering from their experiences. "I think we should all go home," Yu said quietly. "Get some rest. Come back after school tomorrow."

"Hey." Chie tried to muster more energy than she could, and her objection fell flat. "What about Midori?"

"What about me?" Midori crossed her arms in annoyance.

"Your thing! Your Persona!" Chie waved one hand around to try and emphasize her point, but she just sorta flailed instead.

"Yeah," Yosuke agreed. "We got a lot of questions for you about that, Vice-President."

Midori turned her withering gaze on him, and he backed down. "She does! They do! Not me!"

"And I have some questions for you," she pointed at Yu. "You know things that surprise me, and I think there is some air that we should mutually clear up."

"Yeah!" Chie agreed.

"Chie, I'm tired," Yukiko complained. "Can we go home?"

Torn between wanting information and her friend, Chie relented. "Sure!" She turned to Midori. "Later."

For her part, Midori gave the sweetest, cutest, smile she could muster, just to mess with Chie. "~Later~!"

"Um," Yosuke took that in, then decided that discretion was the better part of valor. "I think I'll walk with them." He pointed to the two girls who were supporting each other. "You know. Just in case."

That left Yu and Midori alone. They waited for the rest to definitely leave before turning on each other. Yu spoke first. "How long?"

"Two years," Midori exaggerated only slightly. "I don't want to answer these questions now, because I'll just have to answer them again when the rest of them ask the same thing. Let's just go home and get some sleep."

Yu saw the logic in that and yielded to her experience.

 **Dojima Household**

 **Evening**

"You two were out late," Ryotaro stated as Midori and Yu returned. "Showing him around town?"

"No," Midori lied. "I was jogging for a bit and Yu was showing himself around. I found him at Junes and walked home with him."

Ryotaro looked pained for a moment, then mastered himself. "Just be careful, alright?"

"Of course!" Midori stripped off her athletic hoodie to her t-shirt underneath. She sniffed the air. "You ordered in." It was a flat accusation.

"You weren't home, and not answering your phone." Ryotaro admitted that if she had gone into the hills, she could have been in dead spots. He knew where they were, and knew that some paths went into them. "Also, I decided that I'm going to take Nanako out for a drive tomorrow. I'm going to surprise her by taking her to that water park a couple towns over. Just some father/daughter time."

Yu stepped past Midori and headed for the Kitchen to see if there was leftovers, or something he could try cooking up for himself. "That's fine, Uncle. I hope you enjoy yourselves."

Midori had a different thought. "Daddy told you to do that, didn't he? It was one of his things when I was growing up."

Ryotaro sighed, his ploy seen through. "Yep. He was very insistent about it, especially as I'm going back to work on Monday."

"Where is Nanako, anyways?" Yu looked around, but didn't see his younger cousin. Midori joined him in the kitchen.

"Upstairs, taking a bath. Midori, could you see to packing up her stuff for tomorrow? Towel, bathing suit, that sort of thing?"

"Sure!" Midori knew exactly the cute stuff to put into Nanako's bag. "Just promise to take lots of pictures!"

Ryotaro laughed. "I will. Will you be staying?"

Midori thought it over. "Probably. That way I can pack up her stuff after I put her to bed." She was about to start in on that when another thought crossed her mind. "Oh, I may be having a study session when you come home tomorrow. Yu needs to catch up to our school, and I have entrance exams to prepare for. Just in case you come home and there's lots of us here, you know."

Yu wondered what she was getting at before realizing she was covering for the possibility of everyone who went into the TV world, including the priestess to congregate in a safe location to talk. "I don't envy your exam taking."

"Don't get cocky," Midori warned. "You'll have to do it next year."

 **23 April 2011**

 **Yasogami High School**

 **Class 3-2**

It was only a half-day, so they got out after lunch. Midori knew she should try to get some team practice in, especially with the new first years joining the team, except rescuing Amane was still a priority.

"Kanako?" She pulled her second off to one side in the hall.

"Yes, Captain?"

"I have things I need to take care of. Can you run the girls through basic drills today, and see who is available for a team meeting tomorrow?" She had seen that Chie and Yukiko were at school today, which meant they should be ready to make another trip into that other world. And she would not leave until Amane was rescued. "See who is available for tomorrow. Purely casual. A social thing really." Midori repeated herself as she bowed in apology. "I am sorry for putting all this on you."

Kanako laughed even as she saw the stress in Midori's eyes. There was a lot there she knew she had no idea about what was happening, but if Midori was trusting her, she would not fail. "Don't worry about it. You've got lots to take care of, Vice-President. I heard about what happened with your cousin last week, and that's got to be a pain."

Midori looked thankful, which she honestly was. "You have no idea. Give me a call when you have things sorted out, leave a message if you have to. Or e-mail me."

"Of course. What are you doing?"

"Too many things," Midori evaded. "And not enough time to do them all. I got corralled into helping Amane-chan with something, and it can't wait."

"Ugh, I keep forgetting you help at the shrine as well." Kanako shook her head before looking down at her Captain. "Don't burn yourself out, you hear? The team needs you."

"I'll try," Midori deflated. "I'll be going now."

"See you!"

 **Junes Department Store  
** **Electronics Department  
** **Afternoon**

Midori arrived in her athletic wear again, changing in one of the washrooms in the store. She had in her duffel bag some water bottles and snacks in addition to her normal clothes. "Everyone here?"

They were. She handed out a bottle to everyone. "Keep it closed for now, I've got more, but no sense in wasting them."

"Thanks!" Yosuke said, and even Chie expressed some thanks for the kindness.

"Let's go then," Yu said, then once he saw things were clear, entered the television.

 **Teddie's Stage**

"Hello!" Teddie greeted everyone once they arrived. "Are we going to go rescue that princess in distress?"

"Uhhh... Yukiko is the Princess," Chie said. "We're saving the Priestess."

"Right! The Princess!" Teddie completely ignored her.

"The words aren't the same at all!" Yosuke objected. "Come on!"

"If you're going to argue with me," Teddie said right back, "then you're not going to get your glasses!"

Midori had forgotten about the ever-present fog given that her own glasses were with her all the time. "Don't argue with the bear," she commanded. "May we see the glasses?"

"For you? Sure!" Teddie reached around into that non-pocket, and removed four more sets of visibility-improving lenses, one for everyone who didn't have some. This time, Yu wouldn't need to wear the comedy set.

"Hey! This is so much better!" Chie was quite agreeable as the fog vanished from her gaze. "You look nice with those on," she complimented Yukiko.

"And you too, Chie."

Midori reflected that there was more going on between the two of them than she chose to be aware of. Looking around, she saw the stack of televisions behind them which lead back to the Department store. And off to one side was a purple door which wasn't there the last time they were there.

It also wasn't there when they arrived. "What is that?" She asked, pointing at it. She felt like she should recognize it, but didn't.

"What's what?" Yosuke turned to look where she was pointing. "I don't see anything."

"The.. door!"

"That's the Velvet Room," Yu said, suspicious. "I thought you said you had met Igor."

"I have!" Midori scrambled for an excuse before remembering something. "I'm used to the Elevator version, not that."

"What door?" Yosuke repeated.

"What are you talking about?" Yukiko asked, drawn by the conversation. "What door?"

"That's what I'm asking!" Yosuke tried to figure out what was going on with his friend and the Vice-President.

"It's something that Yu and I can interact with, so we know it's there." Midori explained. "I'll add that to the list of things to talk about after we rescue Amane."

"You better," Chie looked in the direction of the entrance to the Velvet Room without seeing anything. "How does it work?"

Midori shrugged. "Different for different people." She remembered being given a key to that door. "Yu, have you been in there?"

"Just for information," he replied. "Why?"

Midori walked up to the door and put her hand against it.

 **The Velvet Room**

She was aware that she was sitting down, the gentle vibrations of the limo telling her that they were driving.

"Hello," Igor greeted her. "I was expecting your confederate to arrive first."

"Greetings, Igor. Margaret." She bowed as best she could to the two of them.

"Who is she?" An unfamiliar voice came from her right, and Midori turned to look at a strange young girl sitting there in the most garish fashion she had seen in years. A white sleeveless shirt, plaid skirt, blue cap and bag that matched the other residents of the velvet room.

There was definitely room for improvement there.

Then she remembered where she had seen her before. "Awake already?" she asked sweetly.

"This is Marie," Margaret introduced the black-haired girl with her blue cap. "She is awake now, yes, and we will soon call upon you for your commitment in that regard. She is not yet ready to leave this place for the Human realm."

"Oh," Midori accepted Margaret's firm opinion. "I will be ready for that." She turned to Marie and bowed politely. "My name is Komaki Midori, and I will be looking after you."

"We have also asked your compatriot, Yu, to be of assistance in that regard," Igor explained with a polite gesture.

"I don't need to be babysat, Nose!" Marie objected loudly, crossing her arms in rejection of anything outside her own world. Midori saw this and started making plans to get around and through that wall.

Igor shook his head. "My name is Igor, not 'Nose'. Please use it."

Midori at first didn't recognize the exchange. Then she realized that this Marie had insulted Igor to his face. She put on her best 'The Vice-President is Angry with You' face and glared at Marie, who refused to return her look. "You will be polite to your hosts," she stated.

When nothing happened, Margaret took it upon herself to deal with the situation. "Thank you for your arrival," she said with a smile that almost looked real. "We will contact you with further details shortly."

"Thank you," Midori said, even as she refused to stop boring holes into Marie with her eyes. "I look forward to it."

 **Teddie's Stage**

She returned to the TV world with a start. "Whoa. I forgot about that."

"Are you alright? You spaced out for a moment there." Yu was behind her with a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine. If you want to talk to them, go ahead. But Marie is acting a little annoying right now." Midori removed his hand, then stepped away from the Velvet Room. "You need anything from them?"

"Not right now," Yu said. "I think we're all ready to go."

"I shall lead us all forward with my awesome nose!" Teddie proclaimed.

Midori giggled at that. "Sorry," she replied to the weird looks. "Just a joke I heard. Your nose is indeed great," she consoled Teddie. "It is among the best I have ever seen."

She didn't know he could blush. But he did.

 **The Temple**

The return journey to Amane's Temple was shorter now that they didn't have to stumble through the Fog, and their trust in their guide was better. Reaching the front lobby, Midori spoke up. "Hold on, there is something we need to decide before we go further."

"What would that be?" Yukiko asked.

"From experience," Midori carefully stated as to not give the wrong impression, "the best group size for this sort of thing is four people directly fighting. More than that, and people start getting into each other's way. The fifth person," she accepted that Teddie would not be a fighter, "will hang back and rest up, ready to rotate in when needed."

Everyone considered that. "I think that's a good idea," Yu said, accepting her wisdom. "Do you have a group in mind?"

"That is the second point." Midori knew she could do what she wanted and get away with it. But that would be wrong, not only personally, but as an insult to Abel, Minato and Aigis. And she wasn't the kind of person to trod over them and their position like this. "Group leadership in a fight."

She didn't give anyone else the chance to interject their opinions as she turned to Yu. "That would be you, cousin."

"Hey! Who put you in charge!" Chie's expected objection came before she realized what was actually said. "Wait. You're putting him in charge? Why?"

"Yeah," Yosuke echoed "I mean, you obviously know a lot, so why put him up front?"

"I have to agree," Yu said.

Midori shook her head. "No. You're the Wild Card. You both have the flexibility required to cover the other three, and also need the most experience because of that."

"What is the Wild Card?" He asked, even though he knew the answer.

"Igor didn't tell you?"

Yu responded with silence, so Midori decided to give a quick answer for the benefit of everyone else. "Fine. A Wild Card is a person who has no fixed Persona, such as Frosty, or Jiraya, or whatever. They have the ability to switch, gain and augment their Personas at the cost of not being as good as specialists with just one." She leveled a challenging gaze at him, daring him to contradict her.

He didn't. "Alright. In that case, I think Yosuke, Chie and Yukiko will fight first."

Midori schooled herself to prevent her from getting angry at being cut out, but then came up with a reason as to _why_ he would do that. "I understand. You all need more experience, especially those two," she indicated the girls to one side. "I'll hold onto the supplies, and be ready to assist when you need me to." In accepting his decision in that manner, she hoped she reinforced both that he was in charge – which was easy to do – but also that she was also being magnanimous in her care for her juniors.

"Um, are we done?" Teddie wondered aloud.

"Yes, we are." Yu replied. "Let's go."

Midori fell in beside Teddie, neither eager nor apathetic to see what had emerged from Chie and Yukiko in terms of their Personas.

She wasn't disappointed as the first Shadow they came across got demolished by the two girls, who reacted to their power differently. Chie celebrated it, while Yukiko seemed silently pleased with the elegance displayed.

Neither, Midori thought, was as awesome as Frosty. But she also accepted that she was a bit biased in that regard, then thought no more of it.

They quickly advanced through the first, second and third rings of the Temple. It was familiar ground for the most part, and Shadows that were a challenge for two now stood no chance against four.

When they reached the room where three fought two, they paused for a moment. "You know, I never really got to see this room when we were here last," Chie sad as she took in the round place. "You were kinda in a hurry," she directed that at Midori who had so far refrained from the same haste that marked the previous day.

"That was when I thought you were a liability, not an asset," Midori replied. "Now we can go in and I don't have to worry about you."

Chie chafed at the words Midori chose, but Yukiko's hand caused her to bite back her first response. "Fine. Not like I have anything to prove to you."

"No," Midori agreed, "you don't."

"Midori-san," Yu politely got into the conversation before it could degenerate into another verbal sparring match, "Will you please switch with Yosuke for a while?"

"Of course," she replied before she found herself thinking about what that meant. "Are you sure you want to double up on Agi and Bufu users?"

Yu nodded. "I can cover that."

"Alright," she passed off her bag to Yosuke, who grunted as he took on the load. She checked her weapon and Frosty, but didn't manifest him yet. "Ready when you are."

With that, they left the room where they fought each other behind, another battle neither won nor lost.

 **Fourth Ring**

Entering this portion of the Temple, Midori found herself caught by the change in scenery. Were the previous sections of this place were obviously a temple, this ring was worn down, dark and bleak like it was night time and without light. There was light however -as moonlight - or what passed for it came through raised windows.

"This is scary," Chie said as she carefully watched her step.

"I think it's nice," Yukiko said instead. "Very quiet and peaceful."

"Yeah, right up until a ghost jumps out at you!" Yosuke objected from the back of the group. "I mean, all I have back here is the Bear!"

"My name's Teddie!" Teddie objected with a growl. "Remember it!"

Midori shook her head slightly at the interplay. "This isn't that scary," she sided with Yukiko so it was two on two.

"You would say that," Chie muttered, but Midori heard it anyways.

"I recall you being quite scared on my haunted house last year," Midori remembered with a grin. "You two were quite the sight."

"Oh!" Yukiko remembered that as well. "Such an oppressive atmosphere it was. I quite enjoyed it."

"Yeah," Chie said. "Yukiko likes that Horror stuff."

Midori vaguely recalled something along those lines, but couldn't place it. "Really now..." She let her reply trail off. "I know you were actually scared, and not just faking it."

"Wait, which one were you? The Yuki-Onna?" Chie tried to place where the Vice President was in the whole thing. "I know you were one of the actors."

"I was the Demi-Fiend," Midori said. "Half-Human, Half-Demon. Glowing lines of power?"

"That was you?!" Yosuke jumped in. "I heard that you were the single scariest thing in the history of the school."

Midori felt a flush of pride sweep across her. "Thank you," she bowed. "I worked very hard on that."

"WAIT A MINUTE!" Chie yelled out. "NOW I remember!"

"Remember what?" Yu asked.

"That feeling! Your Persona!" She pointed an accusing finger at Midori now that they had all stopped walking. "It does that scary thing! You cheated!"

Midori oh-so-wanted to do something in response to that. "No. I didn't."

"Yes, you totally did!"

"And what possible use does this have?" Midori felt her tenuous patience with Chie start to run thin again. "Yes, Frosty does that thing you're feeling. Yes, I use him for that on occasion. Now, can we dispense with the _completely irrelevant stuff_ and move ON?" Her self-control slipped just a moment on the last word. "I promised explanations later, and you'll get them."

"But!" Chie tried to get more in, but Yosuke took the moment to get between the two feuding girls and stifle any further words.

"Please, can we let this rest?" he tried to be the voice of reason, but found that he was very glad that Chie couldn't set people on fire with her glare. "Please?"

"We need to get Amane," Midori reminded everyone. "That's enough delay."

Yu nodded. "She's right. Let's go."

So they advanced, Midori joining up with the active party. As they did so though, the nature of the Shadows changed, no longer the simple Mayas that accosted them in the past. "Those are called Gigas'," Midori informed them, "simple ones tend to be weak to non-physical attacks."

"Thank you," Yu said before blasting one with a Zio spell from Izanagi. It worked well enough, and the large, over-muscled shadow fell to one knee where Chie was able to finish it off with a burst of Bufu.

Midori took the thanks in stride, as it was only natural given her experience.

Despite the small size of the tight and confined section of the temple, it seemed much larger as all the twisty passages seemed to double back on each other, with odd angles. Midori had long since given up on trying to map this place, knowing full well that it could change the next time they came.

But even the confusing layout did nothing to detract from the fact that they had only a short distance to go before reaching the end.

Instead of another set of stairs that would go up or down, this barrier was another door. Once again, the red wood had the picture of a vague flower carved into it, and the hinges would allow it to swing away from the center. "I can smell a powerful Shadow over there!" Teddie noted as he sniffed the air. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Midori nodded, eyes only for the last barrier between her and Amane. Yu followed suit. "How about the rest of you?" he asked.

"Good to go," Yosuke said.

"Ready!" Chie replied eagerly as she took a moment to stretch her legs. "Yukiko and I are gonna beat this thing down so easy!"

"A word of warning," Midori said, surprising herself by her own seriousness. "If I give the warning, I want you all to get out of the garden area, away from the tree."

"Why?" It was Teddie who asked this.

She didn't know how to explain how she knew. She had to find some way to get them to trust her judgment in this regard. "The last time Amane saw this place, it was on fire," she skewed the truth just a little. "It isn't yet, but I don't want any of you caught in the inferno." She could trust Frosty to protect her still, and she supposed Yukiko and her fire-bird were acceptable backup.

"So, what, this place was real, and it burned down?" Chie made the logical connections. "That's kinda sad."

"No, it was a good thing." Midori stated. "The people who lived here were not good, those who weren't victims that is." She leaned into the door, forcing it open.


	10. 23 April 2011

**Fifth Ring, the Garden of Sinners**

The six of them crossed into a beautiful garden. The huge tree served as a backdrop while above them a brilliant moon hung low in the sky to provide illumination. Stone paths crossed back and forth from small pools to well-tended flower beds and back, but all of it served the tree and great depression that it dominated from.

Amane knelt before it as though she were praying.

Midori broke into a run, heedless of any possible threat as she yelled, "AMANE!"

"AMANE!" She repeated as the others rushed to follow her, though none of them had the sheer need that she did. She hurdled flowers, and skidded on gravel, but quickly made her way to the priestess. "Amane?"

But the purple-haired maiden was locked in prayer, eyes shut, hands clasped such that death itself would not release them. She was frightened, and Midori knew that she would exact a terrible price on the thing that did this to her friend.

The rest arrived. "How is she?" Yu asked as he kept his weapon at the ready. "Can she leave?"

Midori knelt, getting close to Amane's face with her own. Putting on a smile, she whispered lightly. "Amane-chan? Time to go. I'm here to take you home."

But her only response was to pray harder, muttering invocations to something to protect her.

If she could summon Black Frost into the Dark Hour, Midori did not want to see what Amane could do here. It would be infinitely worse. She had to do something. "Amane?" She shook her shoulder, but still got no response. "Yu, she's not responding. Help me," she looped her arms under Amane's rigid left arm, and waited for Yu to do the same on the right.

"You sure about this?" He asked as he looked about for threats.

"Yes," she replied with no hesitation. "She needs to get out of here."

"Leaving so soon?" Amane said as she emerged from behind the tree. "You should know better than to interrupt my prayers, oh Queen."

"Jezebel," Midori snarled, knowing full well what was behind those golden eyes. She let go of the real Amane, and moved to place herself between the Demon and her. "You're dead. Frosty put his claws into your head, and _ripped it off_." It was a happy memory. If the others reacted to her gruesome statement, she didn't see.

"Oh, I am not her," the false-Amane said. "Oh, how I wish I could be, though."

Behind Midori, the praying Amane tightened.

"To command with absolute authority, to have all my needs and wants given with no one to watch over me!"

"Oh, shut up!" Midori snapped. "Amane never had that."

"How do you know?" It said to her as it advanced, the long strip of fabric that joined the two sleeves of her Shomankai dress draped between her legs, yet it did not seem to hinder her from moving. "You only know what I told you. And I didn't tell you so much!" She giggled. "You're just another servant, you know that right?" The real Amane froze at the accusation, her own feelings bottle up.

The image of Abel's face flashed in front of her, followed by Aigis'. "I know," she admitted. "They're better people than I am. And you're not."

"Don't _listen_ to her!" The kneeling Amane said through thin lips. "She is a deceiver!"

"Um, Miko-sama," Yosuke said, using the awkward formality as he wasn't as familiar with her as Midori was. "You can't close your eyes to this."

"He is correct," Yukiko offered. "That shadow is yours."

"No, it's not!" Amane hissed before going back to her redoubled prayers.

The faker grinned. "Oh, such failings. To serve, to lead, to devour or be devoured? You could have _ruled_! You didn't, because you are _weak_!"

Midori turned away from it to find her COMP. It was on, so she turned her back on the Shadow, trusting in the others to guard her back, and put it down in front of Amane. "Look. It's on. It's singing that song. I was wrong," she admitted softly. "It's not _her_ , just a shadow pretending to be real. You have to face it."

Amane shook her head. "She knows things. You haven't heard her speak. You need to run."

"I can't do that. You know me. Hero to the core. A Magical Girl of Love and Justice."

"Oh stop praying!" The fake yelled out, even as the others moved to bar her way from getting closer to Amane. "We don't believe in those gods! Any gods!"

"What's a priestess who doesn't believe?" Yukiko wondered aloud. "Now I know you're lying!"

"Yeah!" Chie chimed in. "You're stupid if you think that will work."

But it did, Midori saw it even as she tried to comfort Amane. No one who survived that week thought of anything as truly divine anymore. It was why she was still suspicious of the Fox, even after a year of peace. "She's lying, Amane." She whispered still. "She's just the part of you that you don't want to face."

"Leave me," Amane pleaded.

"Yes, leave us!" The impostor echoed. "I don't need you! I don't need anyone!"

Amane whimpered. "That's a lie! I have people who depend on me!"

"So you can use them? What a friend you are. Still just a spoiled girl, being waited upon, fattened up to be a sacrifice." The faker spat. "Why don't you just roll over and let me take over? You know you want to."

"Shut up!"

Only Midori saw the truth in the subtext, the rest were lost on the subtleties. She had to try a different track. "Amane? No matter what that Shadow says, it's all in the past. You're better. You're different. And if you think you've done me wrong? I forgive you."

There was no response, save the mutters of interrupted prayer. "You're not real," she said – but not to Midori - "you're not real."

"She's rejecting it!" Midori warned everyone.

"Get ready for a fight!" Yu commanded. He looked to Midori. "Advice?"

"Keep track of the real one," Midori said. "And if in doubt, burn the tree."

Yu seemed confused by that. "But you warned us against the fire."

"Yes, and I'll burn this place down again if I have to." Midori drew her weapon and manifested Frosty in the same breath she issued her challenge. "Come on then! Prove that you have what it takes to exist!"

The false prophet grimaced. "You reject me too? You hate ME? You're just like all the others, refusing to see me for who I am!"

"And what about Mari?" Midori said, "do you think the same of her?"

The faker had no response to that. The rest of them took advantage of that. "Yosuke, Teddie, protect the Priestess." Yu said as he flanked Midori. On her other side, Yukiko then Chie stood at the ready. "Your friend. Your call."

"Just leave!" The real Amane pleaded from behind them. "You have to!"

"Can't do that," Midori said firmly. "Never will."

"Please!"

"NO!" Midori said. "You would never hurt me, or us."

"It's not me!" Amane said again, and the Shadow grew in stature.

"Yes! Yes!" A cloud of black ichor formed around

"Oh my, it's happening again!" Teddie exclaimed as he huddled down with his arms trying to cover his head. "Fight!"

From the black mist, the new Shadow was born from the fears of Amane. Bare white legs kneeled on the ground, giving rise to a wooden torso, a stem from which vine-like protrusions emerged. At the top, where on a normal flower would be the petals themselves, five distinct and undulating extensions emerged. The central one held a black-haired head, with a mouth covered in some form of shell. Adjacent to it, the vermilion petals were graced by long, slender and elegant arms that reached out to support the heavy weight of the thing. Below the head was a fourth flower, this time a mouth was centered in it, dark lips whispering below the hearing of human ears. Above, the last petal held the ears that were missing from the central head.

Midori had seen Jezebel in all her glory before, she was unphased by it. And her COMP still sang, meaning that this was not the real thing. Just formed from Amane's memories.

The others didn't have that buffer. "What. The. Hell!" Chie shouted in shock, even as Yukiko took a step back, fan covering her face from the inhuman monstrosity before them. Even Yu seemed shaken, but found steady ground in Midori's complete resolve.

"Hello again," Midori taunted it. "Eager to die so soon?"

And it sang, a cacophonous song that tore at the ears, everyone cringed at the pain they felt. Then there was silence. Midori looked around, but saw nor felt anything out of the ordinary. But she also wasn't about to let this false demon get the upper hand. "AGI!" She commanded of her Persona, and Frosty responded with a flash of fire against the Shadow. It recoiled from the heat, a scream sounding on its lips. Midori slammed another shot into it before she had to take a moment to recover herself.

To her right, Yu was shaking his head. "Can anyone hear me?" he asked, but his voice sounded a bit off. He looked to Midori. She nodded, but refrained from trying to raise her voice to get a message across. She didn't feel the need to do one of those stupid routines on the television where they just speak louder and slower.

She looked to her left as Yu staggered, then slowly recovered. Chie and Yukiko were in the same condition. She alone had lucked out of the stunning effect put out by the creature. "Is that the best you got?", Midori taunted, hoping to take some attention away from the others while they recovered. "Because if it is, I could take you on by myself!"

It worked, and the flowery pretender turned on Midori, two vines lashing out at her. She couldn't evade, but instead took the hits on her arms. The blows stung, and she knew she would feel that in the morning, but it was enough.

Chie recovered first. "Ah! I can hear again!" She turned on the plant-Shadow. "HI-YA!" Invoking her Persona as well, Chie directed Tomoe to attack. "Take that!"

Yu was next. "Midori, are you hurt?"

"Nothing I can't handle," she stated only part of the truth. "Any plan beyond beating it down?"

Shaking his head, Yu could only reply in the negative. "Just keep it away from the real Priestess and use fire. Orobas! Agi!" The horse-like Persona emerged from Yu and lashed out with its own fire, but the damage dealt was far less than what Midori or Yukiko could put out.

Accumulating fire took its toll on the Shadow that pretended to be a Demon. Scorched white bark/skin blackened with char, and its movements became less supple as it was damaged. "I am beautiful! Worship me!" it cried out, a statement Midori ignored.

"I ain't gonna worship that!" Yosuke yelled out from a safe distance. "That's freaky and wrong! You're freaky!"

The wild plant-like Shadow thrashed with the insults, ignoring the harm brought against it. "NO! I will not be cowed! I will not be reduced! I will not serve! Not Angels, nor Demons! I will rule!"

Midori stuffed its face full of flames, Frosty echoing her desire to deliver punishment and retribution even as it took in a breath to sing again.

Once again, the riot of sound rippled across the combatants, and Midori stood her ground. It hurt, but she would not falter. As the others struggled to recover, she knew she would have to cover them just like before.

She wanted to yell at Hanamura to get into the fray, to relieve Chie, but refrained. That was Yu's job. She had given it to him, and she couldn't just take it back. But she could advise him once his hearing returned.

In the mean time, more fire for the pretender, beat it back long enough to get through to Amane. Then they could get out of here.

Yu's ears rang, his mind clawing to get out even as he fought to keep himself standing. Further back, Yosuke and Teddie were alright, but to his left Chie and Yukiko struggled to overcome.

And his cousin stood in the middle, imperious and immaculate against the Shadow that they fought. He knew intellectually that she had more experience than the rest of them with this sort of thing, but seeing it in action when faced with a Shadow like this, where her anger turned cold? He could believe it in his heart now. The evidence of his eyes payed no tricks.

There was something wrong with her. Twisted around these monsters, and refusing to let go.

Even as sound returned to his world, part of him wondered just what he had gotten himself into with his bravery and ignorance.

Knowing nothing of this, Midori focused on the battle at hand. She thought that she would be better than this, but her long convalescence had taken its toll on Frosty, and the power she knew he was capable of bringing to bear was lost, yet to be redeveloped.

But no matter the blows, there were people ready to help. Even Yosuke had figured out that he could stand behind everyone and support with Jiraya's healing skill, something which she boggled at never figuring out for herself.

There would be appropriate thanks for that later. After the battle was done.

But it wasn't her that dealt the final blow to the impostor Jezebel. It was Yukiko whose flames did the trick. The vines withered, the bark reduced to coal, and even Chie got into it with her Persona's double-edged weapon.

The Shadow fell, releasing its inhuman form as it was pushed back against the tree. "Wait!" It cried out, but Midori was not in a forgiving mood. She and Frosty stood guard even as she wanted to finish it off, but she had to give Amane a chance to put it down for good first.

Behind her, Amane accepted the help of Teddie to stand up, then stumbled on the first step only to recover her poise on the second. "Is this what you want?" she asked of it in a soft voice as got closer. "All your words, just keeping others away. I can't live like that."

The Shadow didn't say anything, but instead regained her own feet by leaning against the tree. "What do you know?"

"I know what others have told me, that you are something born of me," Amane said, gaining strength in the process. "I... do not wish to be that. But I have thought those things. How much easier life would be." She reached Midori, and put a hand on her rescuer's shoulder. "But that is not to be. I cannot stay like that, so please, let this hatred go, no matter how much it may be me. It is not the whole of me."

"You can do it!" Teddie said encouragingly. "Just accept it!"

Midori removed Frosty, returning him to his card form. Amane felt this and turned to her, only to see the encouraging smile from her junior. "Go on," Midori said. "We can settle the details later."

"I have questions," Amane stated, but saw that now was not the time or the place. Instead she focused again on her Shadow. "But you... you are me, are we not? I've heard of these things, meeting oneself on a journey of discovery, but never like this." She reached out a hand. "Will you walk with me? I am incomplete without you."

The Shadow reached out and took Amane's hand, and it was all over.

 **Junes Department Store  
** **Electronics Department** **  
**

With Amane resting on her back, Midori stepped carefully back into the Human world. The priestess had, as expected, lost a lot of energy when accepting her Shadow, and Midori refused to let anyone else carry her. No one objected, and the trip back was thankfully quiet.

Behind her, Yu stepped through the television. "I thanked Teddie for this help," he said as he looked at the assembled group. "And thank you all for your hard work. Rest. You've deserved it."

Midori shook her head. "I wish. I got to take Amane-chan home, then get supper ready for when Nanako and Uncle return from their trip to the pool, and tomorrow I have the Tennis Club meeting." She sighed. "But yes, Yu is right. You all did well today, and I'll be ready for your questions once we have a chance to sit down with it."

"You are welcome," Yukiko formally bowed. "Have we decided on a place and time yet?"

Midori and Yu shared a look. "Not yet," he replied. "It will either be at school – probably the library – or at someone's house."

"Yeah," Chie stifled a yawn. "That was exhausting."

At that, a certain weight settled over the group. "You need any help?" Yosuke offered Midori. "I mean, not that you need it obviously." He managed to not trip over his words when Midori let a small smile touch her lips at his awkward offer.

"No thank you. Yu and I are going in the same direction."

Yosuke took that as a dismissal, and joined Chie and Yukiko in walking away. Midori shifted a little to make her load more comfortable. "Come on", she said. "We'll take her to my place."

"Why not back to her home?" Yu asked.

"I am awake," Amane said softly. "If Mari hasn't gone looking for me, it would be because she's been working too much again, and hasn't noticed I was gone. By going to Midori's home, I can rest without worry about explaining myself."

Yu saw the logic in that. "Alright."

 **Dojima Household  
** **Evening** **  
**

The two high-school students heard the car come into the driveway, and Midori got ready to serve supper. Yu finished clearing off the table, his own thoughts keeping him from prying into Midori's own at this moment.

When the door opened, Midori was instantly cheerful and happy. "Welcome home!"

"We're home," Ryotaro announced. "And quiet, Nanako is napping." He entered the kitchen with his daughter clinging to him, gently snoring from her long day.

Midori took off her apron, and tossed it over a chair. "Here," she said, holding out her arms to take Nanako, "I'll put her to bed, you wash up." She took the sleeping girl into her arms and headed for the stairs before Ryotaro could really object.

"So, how was your study session?" Ryotaro asked instead as he shucked his jacket. Running a hand through still-damp hair, he sought out a towel from the kitchen drawers.

"Not bad," Yu said, reminded of the cover story Midori concocted yesterday. "Mostly us second-years getting into the new curriculum."

"I see," Ryotaro said. "Don't tell her this, but I'm going to talk to her father about what Entrance Exams she should be taking this year. If he keeps up with his business trips, I should be aware so I can help where needed."

Yu understood, then considered just how much stuff his older cousin was doing, with school, exams, and extra-curricular activities. It was no wonder she had handed leadership to him, she simply may not have time. It was also a sign of trust from her, and he would not fail his senior. "If you do too well with that, my parents may ask you to do that for me next year."

That caused his uncle to come up short. "Eh... We'll see."

 **Komaki Household  
** **Night** **  
**

Midori changed into her purple pyjamas, helping Amane into a spare pair. "No word on you being missing," she said as Amane pulled the shirt over her head, then pulled her hair clear of the collar. "How are you feeling?"

"Confused," Amane said before she looked at Midori, seeking something in her face. "What was that? What happened?"

Midori deflated. "I will try to explain to everyone all at once, but I also suspect that you'll receive a summons from Igor pretty quickly... and you don't know who he is." Amane said nothing, just kept her gaze fixed on Midori. "Look, it's complicated. And I'm not sure how much I can tell you. Just... I know Igor. He's trustworthy, even if you don't trust him."

"Who is this Igor?" Amane asked.

"He..." Midori didn't know how to describe it. "He has a nose," she finally failed to offer an apt description. "I mean, a really big one. He's also on our side. Humanity, I mean."

"You're not telling me things," accused Amane.

Midori confessed. "You're right. I'm not. And there are things I won't tell other people that you and I know either, including the others. Once I know what you know, and if you're going to keep going, then I can fill in the blanks."

Amane considered this, but instead of pressing the issue, decided to trust the one person in the world who twice fought for her in the garden of her own mind. "Very well. Good night."

"Night," Midori replied reflexively.


	11. 24 April 2011

**24 April 2011  
** **Komaki Household  
** **Morning**

After extracting herself from her bed, and Amane's sprawled form, Midori quickly started to get her day in order. It was going to be ridiculously busy, given that she had to prepare the place for the Tennis Team meeting, as well as prepare herself for lying to the others who had entered the world inside the television with her.

Well, lying to protect them was better than lying to harm them. Finishing with the bathroom, she headed down to the kitchen to start breakfast for her and her guest even as she juggled the two completely different meetings in her head.

The Tennis one was pretty easy in comparison, she decided as she made a note on the fridge to buy more eggs. Meet everyone, charm them, lay out the plans for the team this year.

Plans which she naturally had no clue about given that she hadn't really had a chance to think about them at all. She would have to make them up on the fly, or call Rio or Aigis for help.

Then she remembered that she hadn't made her weekly call to Aigis last night, having been caught up in everything else.

Cursing her failings, Midori grabbed the cordless phone from its cradle and started dialing with one hand while she stirred the food on the stove. Amane was still sleeping, and Midori knew just how exhausting it could be in that other place, so she let her rest.

The phone didn't even reach the first ring before it was picked up. "Midori?" Aigis' voice came across clearly.

"I'm sorry Aigis!" Midori refrained from bowing in apology as there was no way for Aigis to see it. She would have to trust her tone of voice to convey her sincerity, which was easy. "I had other things yesterday, and I didn't have time to call!"

"Apology accepted," Aigis replied. "I was unavailable myself."

"Oh? Business?" Midori asked, hoping it wasn't.

"No," the robot set Midori at ease. "Rather, I accepted the invitation to join the Tennis Club here, and there was a party."

"You're worth it," Midori replied. "I've got a team meeting myself later on. Get everyone introduced and all that."

"Good," Aigis said. "How are you doing?" The question was innocently asked, but Midori's heart skipped a beat.

"Fine," she lied to her friend. "Just stressed out still."

"You should relax," Aigis said, "though I do not know how."

Midori sighed. Relax. Oh, how she wished she could. "I'll try. But I also have to start thinking about things like Entrance Exams."

Aigis knew about those. Her science and math scores were impeccable, but she still lacked in the language and arts, something that Mitsuru was attempting to aid her with in her own way. "I cannot help with those," she admitted. "I can hear your kitchen-work in the background. We can talk later."

Midori knew that sometimes her conversations with Aigis would be short like this, and didn't hold it against her. "Sure! Talk to you later!"

"Goodbye."

"Bye!"

Hanging up, Midori turned off the stove and got ready to serve herself food. She filled a spare plate for Amane to heat up when she woke up, then filled her own.

As she sat down and ate, Midori tried to order her thoughts for the day. Plans for the Tennis Meeting were flexible until she saw how many had been recruited, though she had to prepare for the worst and assume that there would be thirty girls crowded into her living room and kitchen.

At that point, her minds eye informed her, she would have to open up the back doors and have people standing in the yard there. And she would need more glasses for drinks.

Lifting her eye-wear up, Midori rubbed her eyes. Right. She can be flexible. Of course, her other meeting would not afford her that. She would have to get her story straight first. Enough that she could inform people of the dangers they were facing while at the same time letting Amane know that this was something totally different.

"Good morning," Amane yawned, causing Midori to jump in her seat. She hadn't heard her coming down the stairs at all!

"Morning," Midori regained control of herself. "Your plate is on the counter." She pointed behind her to the kitchen where she had placed a layer of plastic wrap over the plate. "Help yourself."

"Thank you," Amane said as she shuffled over to pick up her food and returned to the table.

Before she had a chance to start eating though, Midori needed to get something out of the way first. "Amane, about yesterday."

"Are you giving me an explanation now?" There was a tinge of hostility in her voice, but Midori stood firm against it, attributing it to a lack of knowledge on her part.

"No," Midori said. "I first need to know if you want to walk away." She made the same offer to Saki, and she repeated it here. "You want to, you can just leave. Ignore it from here on out, and I'll do my best to keep it away from you."

"I can't do that," Amane retorted as she poked at the egg on top of her plate with one of her chopsticks. "I was attacked, I remember that much. In the fog as I was leaving the Shrine."

Midori held up a hand. "Get your thoughts in order," she said. "Tell everyone at the same time." She glanced at the phone, cursing her lack of ability to contact the Velvet Room. She needed them at this point.

As though it was expecting the attention, the phone rang. Checking the caller ID, she saw that the number was a serious of "#"s, but the name was "Velvet Room". She held up one hand to forestall an immediate response from Amane and picked it up. "Hello!" she greeted without giving Igor or whoever it was on the other end a chance to speak, "your timing is perfect."

"I am glad to hear that," Margaret said from the place that was real and unreal. "Do you have a moment?"

"Of course," Midori agreed. "I presume this is about the same reason that Igor wanted to talk to me back then?"

"You are astute," Margaret complimented her. "And observant. Yes. Can you bring that young woman to the Velvet Room today?"

Midori bit her lip. "I only know about the door in that other place," she spoke a little more openly given who was on her end of the phone. "And I don't think I can take her to that mall today, it's pretty far away."

"That will not be necessary," the reply held a hint of humor. "My Master has crafted a doorway for your use, as well as the Wild Card's in the place you know as the Central Shopping District."

Midori nodded. "I see. Have you called Yu to ask him as well? I mean, if he's starting out, there are services you offer, and Igor can do his thing while you talk to Yu."

"Rational," Margaret agreed. "However, we know she is with you, so you were the one we called."

Midori ignored Amane's piercing glare at being talked about. "I'll call Yu and delegate this to him then. I have commitments that I need to handle today, and I will be explaining certain things to all involved later on."

"Ah, I presume you recall your promise."

"Of course," Midori knew what was being talked about. No Demons. "I have kept my word."

"Then we shall see you or him later today." Margaret hung up, and Midori turned her attention back to Amane.

"What was that?" she asked.

"That was the summons from Igor," Midori remembered mentioning this last night. "He will brief you on some of the more technical details about what is going on, the same stuff he told me years ago. After that, confirm that you're not going to back down, and he will help get you started."

Amane looked at her, judging Midori. But never in all the time the priestess had known the younger girl across from her had she deceived her into folly. Instead, she had repeatedly gone to rescue her, and was staunchly loyal to anyone who earned it. And she had, in her own way. She could trust Midori, but that trust had to extend to the fact that she was keeping secrets, not telling her simply because they were not her secrets to share.

"Very well," she acquiesced to the meeting forced on her. "When?"

Midori picked up the phone. "Let me call Yu and check."

Another number was quickly dialed, and Midori cursed herself as she realized that she didn't have Yu's cell number. She had to call the house directly, and then get him to pick up.

"Hello," Ryotaro said as he answered the line.

"Uncle!" Midori chirped a greeting, keeping up appearances that everything was alright. "Could you put Yu on for a moment, I have some things I need for him to handle today."

"Problems?" the elder Dojima wondered, not releasing the phone.

"No! No!" Midori objected. "Just some things came to me just now that would be better handled by him. Gives him a chance to get to know the town a bit more, as well as showing that he can be responsible after last week."

Ryotaro grunted. "Don't do anything harsh. Here," he passed the phone to his nephew.

"Hello?" Yu said, just a little tired.

"Come by my place," Midori said sternly, channeling her best 'do as I say' voice. "Pick up Amane, and take her to the Velvet Room for a talk with Igor. There's a door in the Central Shopping District."

There was a moments silence on the other end as Yu processed this. "Very well, Vice-President."

"Good." Midori hung up and breathed a sigh of relief. "That's taken care of."

"You are a stern taskmaster," Amane observed. "I did not think you had that in you."

"You're my friend," Midori replied. "You'll never have to worry about that."

 **Afternoon**

Chie pressed the doorbell, hearing a lot of activity inside the house of the Vice President. She and Yukiko were here to get an early start on the meeting at her insistence. She wanted to _know_ what was going on, and being given the runaround by the older Persona user was annoying.

The door was opened, and Midori's face went from a welcoming smile to a frown in an instant. "Yes?" She asked of the two of them.

"We heard that the Tennis Club was having a meeting," Yukiko said diplomatically. "I was wondering if I may observe?"

Midori looked between the two of them, and Chie was certain she had seen through the cover story. "Fine," she said. "But behave."

"Of course," Chie knew this was mostly directed at her.

The two were escorted into the living room where Midori introduced them as observers for the club. Yukiko got a lot of attention given her own social stature, and Chie talked to a few of the other girls in her own year as well, trying to deflect questions about her finally joining a sports club properly.

Eventually, Midori clapped her hands for attention. She wasn't the tallest person in the room, but she still held everyone's attention. "Thank you all for coming, members and not," she said firmly without yelling. "There are a lot more of you here this year than there were last year, and for that I am thankful to all of you."

She looked over everyone with a glad smile. "Now, because there are so many of you, 14 at last count," and she had – twice - "I have decided that there will be a change in how the team is organized."

Midori saw Kanako raise an eyebrow, but she made a gesture for her second to wait. "I am going to be splitting the team into two segments," she announced. "One team will be the competitive team directly under me. This will be the team for you girls who want to be competitive, go to tournaments and otherwise push yourselves to be better." She held out one hand while talking to emphasize the second point when she put out her other hand to the other side. "The other team will be more casual and athletic in nature. You won't be competing for positions at tournament, instead focusing on personal development." She paused to let it sink in. "Both sides will still be under my purview, but I will be looking into a second to oversee the casual side."

There were some quiet responses to that, but Midori felt that her proclamation was well received. She allayed the fears that she would be harsh to them while at the same time reinforced the notion that those who were willing to stand with her would get their wish.

"Now," she clapped her hands again once she was certain everyone had a chance to think, "I would like you all to decide which team you want to start out in. I won't object to people moving between them, assuming they can prove that they're serious about the change. And now that that's out of the way, everyone can chat now, get to know each other! They will be your future team mates, so everyone work together well, and I will take care of you!" She bowed, then let everyone go discussing their sports futures.

As she stepped back into the kitchen to refill her water, someone came up beside her. It took only a glance to see that it was Saki, and not one of the new girls who had signed up this year, either because of Midori's status or because they honestly wanted to play.

"How are you?" Midori asked as she reached the tap.

"You went in there," Saki said quietly, low enough for no one else to hear. "You went in with others."

"I will remind you," Midori said firmly, not happy with this at all, "that you chose of your own free will to walk away." She finished filling her glass, then tended to Saki's as well, taking from her lose fingers. "You don't get to complain." She handed the glass back to Saki. "But if you're going to change your mind, let me know."

Saki didn't.

Later, after Midori had bid the last of her non-Persona using guests goodbye, she was left with Chie and Yukiko. "Help clean up," she said, "and we can prepare for the rest to arrive."

For once, she was grateful that the green-jacketed girl didn't object. "So, um, you serious about the competition team?" she asked instead as she moved to gather up glasses.

"Of course," Midori said. "There's a difference between being serious and playing for the exercise."

"Huh. So, you think I could join?"

Midori was instantly looking for hidden meaning behind that action. "Why," she asked carefully, "would you?"

"Because King Moron is getting pissed – more so than usual – that I'm not in a sports club, and I figure getting under you would be a good way to, you know, avoid that, as well as give us an excuse to hang out together when we go into the TV world."

It was an amount of foresight that Midori had not expected from Chie. So she decided to go with it. "Does this mean you're also suggesting that I get Yu and Yosuke to found a Boys' Tennis Club to give them more reason to coordinate between the two," she gave a knowing grin, "because I can."

Chie thought about that. "Can you imagine Yosuke in a skirt? HA!" She barked out a laugh, much to Yukiko's confusion as she was focused on making sure the furniture was back in order. "Yosuke in a skirt!" she explained to her friend.

Yukiko started to giggle. "And he could put his hair up into twin tails!"

"Yeah!" Chie agreed, starting to laugh along with her friend. "That's funny!"

Even Midori could just see it. "Would he be better in the Summer or Winter uniform though?"

"Oh, Summer, totally!" Chie exclaimed. "Short skirt!"

Yukiko was laughing in the living room now, "And lipstick!"

"You know," Midori added, "I can make clothes. Custom fit anyone?"

"Seriously?" Chie asked. "I mean, wow. A seamstress too. Is there anything you can't do?"

"Flower arrangement," Midori replied honestly. "My idea of that is to make sure the flower part is up, and the bottom part is in water."

"Gee, that's a _shame_." Chie shook her head that the Vice-President's only real flaw was a lack of fine culture.

"All done!" Yukiko announced, pleased that she had properly arranged the living room for the meeting. "That was hard work."

"Yeah. Totally." Chie responded flatly. At least there was someone in her life she could trust to be cultured beyond all others.

The doorbell rang, and Midori answered it. It was Yosuke. "Hello, Hanamura-san," she bowed in polite greeting. He returned the gesture.

"Uh, thanks. Um, is Yu here yet? I mean, I didn't want to start without him." He stepped inside and took off his shoes.

"Who is it?" Chie yelled from around the corner in the living room.

"Me!" Yosuke replied.

"Cool," Chie turned her attention back to the television.

"He's not here yet, nor is Amane." Midori explained as she made sure he sat down at the low table before offering him some water. "We really should have set a firm time today."

It was obvious to her that Hanamura was feeling awkward in the presence of so many members of the opposite gender, compounding the fact that he was in Midori's house. "Thank you for the drink," he said. "ARGH!" He shook his head. "So many questions!"

"Patience," Midori stated, beating the others to the point. She was impressed by Chie's own self-control, and was willing to show her a little forgiveness in return.

It was only a few more minutes before the doorbell rang again, and this time Midori opened it up to Yu and Amane. Yu was still in his school uniform, while Amane was now wearing more casual clothes – a white blouse and a blue skirt, as well as a wide-brimmed hat. If Midori didn't know better, she would have thought Amane to be normal from a distance.

"Welcome!" She bowed and invited them in. "We're all here, unless Teddie is going to make an appearance?" She wanted to talk to Amane first, to figure out the extent of their mutual deception, but also recognized in retrospect that she had given that chance up when she prioritized the Tennis meeting.

"Thank you for having us," Yu said as he took a seat beside the empty head of the table. He saw Amane take the other side, leaving the middle seat for Midori.

For her part, Midori took the remaining spot, looking out over the people who would be looking to her for information and wisdom. They were expecting her to be someone she completely wasn't, but she would have to be anyways. And they were all looking at her expectantly.

"Thank you all for coming," she said to get everyone's proper attention. "I know that you have a lot of questions, some relevant and some not, and I will try to answer them all as best I can. However," she said, switching to a more serious tone, "there are secrets that I have promised to keep. And I will. If I don't tell you something, it is because of that. And understand that this applies to you as well. I will protect you with the same determination I am protecting everything and everyone that you don't know about."

She shuffled a little bit, uncomfortable with the attention of this kind. "I am not the oldest Persona user out there. That title belongs to someone else who has had this power for about twelve years now," she didn't want to think too much about Mitsuru, but it was unavoidable. "I learned from that person," that left a sour taste in her mouth, "and I am telling you this because I want to impress on you that there is a lot more going on than what you are aware of."

Midori looked around, judging how each person was responding. She approved, but saw that Yosuke and Chie wanted her to get to the point, while Amane was completely unreadable. "Anyways, I have had this power for about two years now," she only slightly exaggerated the time frame, knowing that Amane would call her on it later. "And this is my fourth incident. The first, I was young and foolish and thought myself a Magical Girl, and fought like one. It was resolved in about a week." That way Amane would know she was talking about the Lockdown, keeping it in terms people would accept – a known lie she could continue. "The second incident started shortly thereafter, where I met others with the same power. That one was resolved in about five months, though mostly due to the slow pace of our opponents. The third lasted about two weeks."

"And you're not going to tell us the details, are you?" Amane asked, feeding Midori the answer they both wanted.

"No," Midori said, agreeing to it.

"Personas," she changed the subject, "Are not all that well understood. Some people think that they are demons made manifest," once again, she was playing to Amane there, "but that is wrong. While they can certainly have the same qualities as demons or spirits or gods or whatever you want to describe them as, they are not them. Rather they are the extension of ourselves into those places that exist adjacent to our world. Think of them as a self-defense mechanism that people may have, much as you can get a tan to protect your skin from harsh sunlight. I don't know all the details, and I'm in no position to go asking for them." She took a sip of water for her throat to let this sink in.

"Anyways, Personas and Shadows – those things we fight - have a lot in common. Where our Personas are tied to us, Shadows are the result of more general aspects of humanity. That is why they can be so generic, except when dealing with the Shadow of a specific person." She was thankful for her encounters with Metis, otherwise she would have been incapable of explaining anything to them. "You can state that our Personas _are_ Shadows, and you would not be wrong."

"Personas and Shadows are grouped together into loose categories that use the Arcana of the Tarot as a guideline, from the Fool through the World." She sighed. "Now I need to read up on those again. I am of the Moon Arcana, while Frosty, my Persona, is of the Fool. I'm also only one of two people I know whose personal and Persona Arcanas are different, and that other person has since realigned themselves though their development as a person." She nodded at Yu. "He is Fool, the Arcana of the Wild Card."

"You explained that last time," Yu said. "My power allows me to be versatile."

"Correct. Any one of the rest of us will beat you on our home Arcana, but you can keep switching as you develop. I'm sure that Igor and Margaret explained some of that?"

"They did. Who are they?"

"They live in their own little pocket outside the world," Midori explained. "And they help humanity where Personas are concerned. I haven't gone prying into their personal lives for I respect them too much." She switched back to the subject she was talking about. "Everyone should have some innate understanding of how their power works, so you don't need to practice to perform the basics."

Midori pulled out the physical card that allowed her to Summon Frosty. "None of you should have this, it's from my initial power development as I was too strong, summoning Frosty with too much power," she painted her history in broad strokes. Then she crushed the card, and Frosty manifested on the table. Looking around, she saw that everyone was reacting poorly to his presence still.

"What you're feeling is a side effect of his nature," Midori said. "You'll get used to it after a couple hours exposure." She kept him summoned to help demonstrate her point. "Frosty here – though his full name is Black Frost – is a Persona that is strong with Fire and Ice – Agi and Bufu actually, as well as strong against Darkness effects. However, he is also weak to Force – Zan – and Wind – Garu – abilities. He is a second-tier Persona, which none of you have." Except perhaps Amane, but that can come later. She was pleased to see that the others were starting to overcome their fear of Frosty. "And before you ask, or try, it took me months of practice, and complete dedication to be able to summon Frosty in the real world. And here, he is far weaker than he would be in that other place. If you intend to mimic me, I can state without hesitation or ego that you would all fail as you are."

That got them thinking, but Midori plowed ahead. "That place on the other side of the television isn't new to me either. It's a bad analogy, but think of places like that as being bubbles attached to our world. They can be large or small, temporary or permanent, but they can be accessed from our world through various means. They are also different in nature, and I cannot use my past experience to make accurate predictions about what is there. I can make observations, and deductions from that, but so can the rest of you."

"And that," Midori finished, "is the basic primer."

"You didn't explain anything at all!" Yosuke objected. "I mean, what are Shadows? What the heck is going on? Why is there a television show on at midnight?"

"Calm down," Yu said. "Think about it. Midori-sensei admitted that she didn't know everything there is to know." He turned to her. "What is stopping you from contacting these other people whom you know, and asking them for help?"

Midori felt a flush of anger at the thought of going on her knees and begging Mitsuru for help. To admit that she _couldn't_ handle things was like ash.

"Because," she took a moment to come up with a reason, "if I made that request, your lives are over." She shook her head. "I make that call, and I would have all the help we could ever need." She trusted Aigis would bring overwhelming force to bear on anything that threatened her, and she would respond in kind. "I make that call," she turned to Amane, "and you have less than six hours to leave town."

Amane knew exactly why. "I understand," she said sadly.

"Wait, why?" Chie asked, not knowing what the two oldest people in the room knew.

"Because I was present for the first incident that Midori spoke of," Amane said. "I was..."

"A victim," Midori interjected. "I had to rescue her."

"That explains why you were so worried!" Yukiko made the connection. "You knew the trouble she was in, so that's why you were so eager to rescue her."

"That would be correct," Amane said, making another mental note to talk to Midori afterwards. "The rest, I will not speak of, as it is private, and the business is done."

Midori nodded in agreement.

"Wait!" Chie said, snapping her fingers as she reached her own conclusions. "Sanada! Akihiko Sanada?"

"Who?" Yu and Yosuke asked at the same time.

"He's the guy who was talking to Midori-sensei last year, when I first felt your Persona's thing going on." She stabbed a finger at Midori. "That's why he was talking to you. Why you were so flippant about sending me off. He's a Persona user as well!"

Midori glared hard at Chie. "Yes," she confirmed. "And you now have enough information to figure out a lot of other Persona users as well. However," she let her voice drop, "doing so will draw the attention of people whom I cannot keep away. They will know you are looking into things, and they will come here to question me about you. Then they will discover that you have the power as well."

"Why don't we ask for help?" Yukiko wondered aloud. "I mean, it seems that the Priestess is hiding for her own protection, but what about the rest of us?"

"Yeah!" Yosuke agreed. "Two people are dead! Murdered!"

"It was a murder-suicide," Midori snapped. "What makes you think that it was Persona related?"

"The Midnight Channel," Yu said. "Showed Amane late last week. And showed you and another earlier."

"We're not dead," Midori responded. "You're jumping to conclusions."

"About that," Amane said. "I was trying to recall how I would up in that place, but the only thing I can remember before appearing before that tree was leaving the Shrine at night, walking through the fog along the roads."

"If, as Midori-sensei says," Yu said calmly, "that the two deaths have nothing to do with the Midnight Channel, then we are not looking at a killer, just an unfortunate coincidence." He looked at Midori. "What about you?"

Seeing there was no way out, Midori kept her promise to keep Saki out of things. "Yes, I and another – who has rejected any further participation in these events, I _checked_ , don't ask. We fell through the television by accident. That person reacted poorly, while I fought to keep us safe from the Shadows. We encountered Teddie, who escorted us out via the televisions at Junes." She challenged anyone to contest her story with her eyes, but no one rose to it. "It was an accident."

"So that means that the boundaries between here and there are thin – not only through the fog, but also through the television," Amane said, helping Midori guide the discussion away from sensitive topics. She turned to look at the device in Midori's living room. "Chie-chan," she requested gently, "you are closest. Can you put your hand in the television here?"

"Um... let me check..." Chie turned around and found the screen too far to reach, so she stood up and took a couple steps closer. With some hesitation, she reached out and poked the center of the screen.

Nothing happened.

"Turn it on and try again," Midori said.

Chie did as she was told, and the response was the same.

"So, it is either time-sensitive access, or location dependent," Amane said.

"Well that's good," Yosuke breathed a sigh of relief. "We don't have to worry about people falling _through their televisions at random_." His voice was raised in pitch as he expressed his worry. "I mean," he looked around at the calm ones at the table. "What is happening? And Junes... that's where that bear lives!"

"Easy," Yukiko said. "Put up a sign politely asking that people not touch the televisions. That way they don't get dirty!"

"Good idea," Yu agreed. "Can you do that, Yosuke?"

"Yeah," he said. "I think so."

"Where do we go from here then?" Amane asked. "It is obvious to me that there will be more accidents in the future," she indicated herself. "Are we to rescue them?"

"Yes," Midori said, accepting no opposition to it. "The Shadows in there are dangerous, and we are the only ones who can fight them."

"I agree!" Chie said, raising her hand and Yukiko's at the same time.

"Count me in," Yosuke added.

"Then it's unanimous," Yu finalized. "We should explain things to Teddie as well."

"You shall do that," Midori said, delegating the job to him. "And negotiate allowances for us to enter through Junes, and his home for us to practice with our Personas. I'm sadly out of shape myself, and so we can all use the work."

 **Evening**

Midori and Amane were alone in the house, sitting at the same table.

"So," Midori said.

"Yes," Amane agreed.

"What did Igor tell you?" Midori asked. "So I know how much to tell you."

"He informed me about the nature of the hidden spaces between our world and the worlds of the Angels and the Demons," Amane said. "And was quite clear that you had kept your end of the bargain you struck."

"Probably the same one you did," Midori said, thinking about her first encounter with Igor and the Velvet room less than two years ago. "If I had my way, you would never have found out."

"I was aware of the Witching Hour," Amane said. "That which you called the Midnight Hour."

"You were?" Midori was surprised for a moment before it went away. "Of course you were. You're you. You had a Demon in you. Two, really."

Amane nodded. "Certain things make more sense now that I know more," she didn't elaborate, and Midori refused to pry. "Although he did offer me a choice, to focus on which demon I could bond with more for my Persona."

"Ramiel," Midori said knowingly. Having power derived from the one non-evil Angel would be a boon, just as having power from the one non-evil demon was for her.

"I chose Jezebel," Amane said.

Midori refused to believe that, so much so that she refused to recognize those words were said. "Does he do Zio attacks for you? Or Hama?"

"I said Jezebel, Midori." Amane was annoyed. "I had to."

"No you didn't!" Midori objected. "You could have gone with the better option!"

"Better for who? You heard what that Shadow said just as much as I did. How much of my life have I spent letting other people define who I am? Making up excuses, reasons, all to dance to the song of others." She nearly spat, then thought better of her friend. "I chose this. Of my own free will. The worse part of me, and the way I manifest it."

Midori didn't know what to say. She couldn't imagine Frosty being mean to her at all. Or ever. So she reached out and hugged Amane, to give her the support she needed. "Alright, but if this goes wrong, I'm going to punch Igor in the nose until he changes it for you."

Amane smiled. "His nose is quite big, isn't it?"


	12. 25 April 2011 to 26 April 2011

**25 April 2011  
** **Samegawa Floodplain  
** **Before School**

Midori caught up to Yu as he was walking toward the bridge over the river. Holding her umbrella over both of them, she took a moment to catch her breath. "Morning," she said over the patter of the rain.

"Good Morning, Sensei."

"You can drop that when it's not related to that place," Midori said. "At school, it's Senpai or Vice-President to you."

"Of course."

"So, there are things about the Wild Card I want to talk to you about."

Yu thought about that. "But you're not one."

"No, but I know others," she said. "I can fill you in on some of the gaps."

"I would like that," Yu agreed. "But not right now."

"Of course."

 **Yasogami High School  
** **Hallways  
** **Lunchtime**

Midori made her way down the hallways to the gymnasium, where she needed to check on some things regarding her club when she spotted a familiar head above rest of the students.

"Tatsumi-san," she greeted Kanji as she stepped up behind him.

"GYAA!" The large young man jumped in the air and spun around arms raised to defend himself when he saw who it was. "Oh. Midori-senpai." He used the more formal address given they were at school and not working. "I didn't see you there."

"Nervous?" she asked before frowning. "And what is that?" She pointed at the shirt that was under his uniform jacket, which itself was stretching on his massive frame.

"Uh... you see, none of the shirts for the uniform fit me, and so I had to get permission to wear one of my own as long as the color matches and none of the images on it pokes through." He looked to one side in embarrassment at that fact, unable to withstand Midori's look.

"Alright," she said, accepting the truth of the matter. Kanji was _huge_ when you got down to it, and it wasn't right to expect the school to have a proper uniform in his size. He was lucky the jacket was barely big enough as it was. "If this continues to be a problem, let me know, and I will sort things out with your mother and the school."

"You don't have to do that!" Kanji objected, "I mean, I can sort things out myself. A man can do that, right?"

"There is no shame in getting help," Midori stated as she started to move past him. "I also haven't seen your application for which clubs you are joining yet. Get those to me by the end of the week."

"But the deadline isn't until next month!" Kanji objected.

"And I know that every last club wants you on their team," Midori noted. She has seen how the male team captains had looked at him, knowing full well what advantage he could give them for the next three years. "They will keep pressuring you to make a decision sooner, rather than later."

Kanji sighed. "I understand."

"Good," Midori said, satisfied that this conversation was over. "And don't forget your Cultural Club application by the normal deadline."

"Yes, sempai." Kanji stood there, defeated as Midori left his sight.

 **Student Council Room  
** **After School** **  
**

Dan didn't look up as Midori entered the room, closing the door behind her. "How did your meeting go yesterday?" he asked politely, even though he already knew the answer.

"Not bad," Midori replied as she took a sheaf of paper from him. "Got it cleared with Morooka-sensei about the team division. He was concerned – in his own way – that the casual team would slack off. I promised to keep an eye on that. How about you? Any luck in finding more people to help us out this year?"

"Not really," he shook his head. "First years are still adapting to the new school, second years trust we can handle it, and the other third years have their own concerns."

"Tell me about it," Midori groused. "I've got exams to start working toward, there's no second year that I can pass off leadership responsibilities to, and everything else..."

Dan had nothing to say to that. "This means that you are looking to go into University?"

Midori looked up, a blank look on her face. "What?"

"You are aware that there are other options. What do you plan on studying over the next few years?"

Midori didn't have an answer to that. She hadn't even _thought_ about it. And it showed on her face. She had just grown up accepting that she would do that.

Dan saw this confusion, and knew better than to prod. Forcing her into a mental corner was not how she solved problems. But he did know someone who could help.

 **Central Shopping District  
** **Evening**

Deciding to swing though on her way home, Midori browsed some of the shops. A lot of them were closed, shuttered over the past year as Junes took its toll on the smaller places. After checking in with the Konishi store with a social call, she walked down the hill at a gentle pace, breathing in the damp spring air. It had stopped raining for the day and the fog was dissipating. It should be a beautiful night, that she was sure of.

Coming down past Aya's, she spotted a splash of color where there was none the last time she was here. It was purple, and her confusion over something new was cut short when she remembered that Margaret had mentioned the Velvet Room setting up shop over here with the other stores.

And it was across from the Shrine, so Amane could keep an eye out if she was so inclined. Assuming she could even see it.

She would have to ask, later, but first she would head home and get supper ready. It was just herself this evening, so she would try a bit of experimental cooking, as long as only she had to deal with the mistakes she made.

But her feet had other ideas, and they refused to do anything other then head for the entrance to the Velvet Room and then stop. Glaring at her treacherous appendages, she accepted her fate and entered.

 **The Velvet Room**

Midori blinked in the transition from standing outside to sitting in the moving vehicle. "Hello," Margaret greeted her. "Welcome back."

"Thank you," Midori replied. "Where is Igor?"

"The Master is not present," Margaret smiled. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

Midori's mind spun for a second before reasons came to her. "I wanted to know if I could get your phone number," she said. "You have mine, and the caller ID only says 'Velvet Room'. I mean, I know I'm not a Wild Card, but I know you gave me an invitation for a reason."

"Of course." Margaret held out her hand expectantly, and Midori fumbled for a moment with her pocket before handing over her phone. "This will take a moment."

"Hey, is that the Nose?" Midori's attention was brought back to the side of the car where Marie was arranging her skirt as she sat down. The two locked eyes for a moment before the younger person shifted away. "You," she said dismissively.

"Here you go," Margaret handed Midori her phone back. She checked the listing of contacts, and found a new one, labeled _Margaret/VR_ there. Satisfied, she put it away. "Was there anything else you needed while you are here?"

"What is that place on the other side of the television?" Midori asked before she thought about it. "I mean, I know a bit about _what_ it is, but that tells me nothing about it."

"Ah," Margaret seemed pleased, even as her poise and smile remained unchanged. "A seeker of the truth, are you?"

Midori found the phrasing odd, but wrote it off as a mannerism of the Velvet Room. "Yes," she agreed. "Because I can't help Yu and the others if I don't know what's going on, and I have to improvise."

"A wise decision on your part," Margaret said, causing Marie to roll her eyes – a gesture Midori and Margaret caught, but ignored. "However, there is much I cannot say in that regard."

"Can't, or won't?" Midori sought a more firm definition of where the white-haired woman could or could not go.

"A bit of both, I suppose," Margaret sighed just a little. "I myself do not fully understand that place you explore, but I can tell you that the answers you seek lay with it."

"That's..." Midori knew exactly what she wanted to say. That Margaret's response was precisely the kind given when the answer was 'Go figure it out yourself'. But saying that would be rude. "Probably true," she acceded. "Then I suppose there's only one thing left to do."

"And what would that be?" Margaret asked, curious.

"Would the two of you like to come over for supper tonight? Daddy's not home, and I'm not expecting any visitors." Midori indicated Marie. "And you wanted me to help her get used to my world, so I figure that's a nice start."

Margaret considered the offer, even as Marie shook her head. "The Nose might object."

"The Master is not here," Margaret pointed out the obvious. "And in his absence, I am mature enough to make rational decisions."

Midori did not point out that Margaret was definitely different than Elizabeth, especially in terms of being able to pay attention and not going on wild tangents if her few encounters with the younger Velvet Room attendant was anything to go by.

"I think we shall," Margaret said, standing up. "Come, Marie, we are invited guests and it would be impolite to be tardy."

Midori rose as well, then looked between the two other females. "Um, Marie-chan?" she asked. "Do you have anything else to wear that's like a jacket or something? It might rain again this evening, and your clothes would just leave you soaked through."

She considered loaning one of her own jackets to her if the case arose, but wanted to see what she had available first. Marie looked at Margaret. "No, she didn't give me anything else."

Plan B it was then, "That's alright, you can borrow one of mine then." She shrugged off her jacket, depending on the thickness of her uniform to keep the worst of the cool air out on their way back to her place.

"One moment," Margaret said as she kneeled down behind the table that sat in the middle of the vehicle's compartment. A moment later, the soft music that permeated the background ceased. "I do not wish to leave that unattended."

"It does get on my nerves after a while," Marie groused.

"You do not get to pick the music," Margaret chided her gently. "That has been the theme of this room for many years now."

"Whatever," Marie said as she slumped her shoulders. "Let's just get this over with."

 **Komaki Residence  
** **Evening** **  
**

Midori was waiting on the fish to finish cooking, checking to make sure they weren't burning while Margaret poked at the place settings. Marie reclined in one of the chairs, trying her best to disguise the fact that she was avidly looking at everything that was new to her.

"Almost done," Midori announced as she turned down the heat, letting the pan's residual energy finish off the cooking. She quickly filled three plates with the rest of the food, then scooped the hot fish on top. "And done!"

She carried all three plates to the table, setting them down in front of her guests before removing her cooking apron. One thanks for the food later, the three started to eat.

Well, Midori did. Margaret and Marie kind of looked at their own food in some confusion. "You have had food before, right?" She wondered if her assumption about how much they knew about the human world was overstated.

"That'snotit!" Marie yelled quickly, blurring her words together. "I mean," she slowed under Margaret's withering gaze, "thankyouforthefood." She carefully picked up the chopsticks and poked at the fish before peeling off a strip and eating it.

Satisfied, Midori turned back to her own food. "Don't get much home cooking?"

"We have our own means to satisfy ourselves," Margaret replied.

"We order in," Marie explained.

While she really wanted to ask how that was possible, Midori decided against it. Some things, she decided, were just too normal to find weird.

After a couple more minutes, Midori addressed Marie. "So," she fought to find a way to open a conversation with this obvious introvert. "How do you like Inaba so far?"

"Foggy," the younger appearing girl replied. "I don't like the fog."

"I can see that," Midori concluded that Marie liked the sun instead. "But thankfully the weather forecast for the next week or so is clear."

"It'll come back," Marie said as she ate some more. Whatever problems she may have had, a poor appetite was not among them.

"True," Midori agreed. "But not for a few days. Plenty of time to get some sunlight."

Marie muttered something as her desire to eat overrode her desire to talk, so Margaret stepped in.

"Thank you for your assistance in this incident," she offered politely.

"You are welcome," Midori replied, accepting that this was just a repeat of earlier words. "Is there anything you can tell me at all?"

Margaret elegantly tasted the fish, though without much in the way to compare it too, had to assume that it was good. "Only that it is the Wild Card who has chosen to take responsibility for the events that are to come."

"Then why not Aigis?"

"Who?" Marie looked up from her plate, earning her a stern glare from Margaret. "I mean, um.. more please?"

Midori scooped out more rice, and fetched another fish for the young girl, then turned back to Margaret, awaiting an answer.

"There are..." Margaret searched for the right words. "Certain conditions and requirements that the Master has to deal with. It was more prudent in the short and long term to recruit your cousin than to bring in your friend."

Thinking that over, Midori considered the _why_ of that statement. It wasn't because of strength, Yu was just starting out while Aigis had years of experience. And it wasn't like Aigis didn't have a support network either. And then it clicked. "You want _more_ ," she said, feeling out her illumination carefully. "More Persona users, not just stronger ones."

"That is one way of looking at it," Margaret neither confirmed nor denied Midori's accusation.

Midori knew that she wouldn't be able to get a better answer than that out of the Velvet Room attendant. They guarded their secrets well.

 **Dojima Household**

Ryotaro looked out the front window of his home, letting his hands wash dishes without the supervision of his eyes. Behind him, his daughter and nephew were working on their homework in the living room.

It would be time to send Nanako to bed soon, he mused even as he saw Midori and two strangers walking down the road from her house. One was a tall, elegant woman in what looked like a business dress, while the other was a shorter girl who looked to be about Midori and Yu's age and was wearing something out of a fashion book.

Curious as to who they would be that Midori would host them without letting him know in case something came up, he quickly wiped down his hands and slid on his shoes. "Be right back," he called out. "Just seeing someone."

"Alright!" Nanako called out as she saw that her father was leaving his jacket behind, which meant he really wasn't leaving.

Ryotaro stepped out and closed the door behind him. "Evening," he said, and saw his niece jump at his unexpected presence, but ignored that in favour of the woman who turned to face them. "Midori, you didn't tell me you were having guests over," he said without accusation, the skills of a Detective getting answers without hostility coming to the fore.

"Oh! Um!" He watched as she scrambled to say something, it wasn't often he got the drop on her like this. "Uncle Dojima," she indicated him with a hand, then pointed to the other two, "This is Margaret and Marie. They are... from out of town," she said, though he recognized the hesitation where she realized she had to explain how she knew them.

"Ah, hello." Margaret said as she turned to come closer to him. Ryotaro stood straighter, reacting to the presence she put off, like that of one who was used to getting her way not through tyranny, but though charisma and diplomacy.

He could see where Midori got some of her tricks, he thought as he went to straighten the tie he wasn't wearing. "Hello, Margaret-san," he bowed to her slightly. "I trust Midori was a generous host?"

"Of course," she responded with a smile. "She offered supper, and we agreed." Ryotaro looked past the middle-aged woman to her.. daughter? Relative? Hard to tell given the differences in hair colour. They had to be from Tokyo then. It was the only explanation.

"That's good," he said with a proud nod. "In town for long?"

"Perhaps," Margaret replied. "It was a visit of opportunity."

Ryotaro nodded in understanding. "I suppose I shouldn't keep you then," he apologized. "But if you're ever in town again, and Midori isn't available, my place is available." He indicated the house behind him. "Least I could do for friends of the family."

Smiling, Margaret bowed in thanks. "Truly, your offer is a generous one," she said formally. "Although I would have to say that it would be Marie more than I who would take advantage of your hospitality."

"Don't worry about that," Ryotaro replied. "Headed back?"

"Yes," the blue-dressed woman said. "We have been out too late, and Marie needs her rest."

"Then have a good evening, all of you." Ryotaro nodded at Midori. He would get an explanation later, he was sure. She would volunteer it.

 **26 April 2011  
** **Yasogami High School, Class 3-2  
** **Lunchtime**

Midori stared into nothingness, her hands on automatic as she fed herself. Of course, her meditations, such as they were, were interrupted by a hand waving in front of her face. Kanako escalated her distraction by grabbing the seat in front of Midori and sitting down in it backwards. "Hey captain?"

"Mm?" Midori focused on her, picking her glasses off the table to _actually_ focus on her. "What's up?"

"Nothing much. You just look like you're completely out of it."

She knew better than to lie. "I am, a bit."

"Yeah," Kanako helped herself to one of the fruit slices in Midori's lunch. "When was the last time you had a break?"

"Break?" Midori feigned ignorance. "What is that?"

Kanako held back a laugh. "It's what you do when you don't have to rush to the next thing."

"Oh!" Midori put a surprised look on her face. "That!" She instantly went back to confused. "No, never heard of it."

This time Kanako failed to hold in the giggle, instead turning to one side as she shook. "You really should get into acting."

Midori considered reminding her friend about the web show she used to host before deciding against it. That was in her past. "I don't think I could get into acting," she said as she drew herself up and thrust out her chest for a moment. "I don't have the talent for it," she then relaxed a bit. "Besides, who would hire someone from a small farming town like me?"

"Isn't there that one girl who got a job in the industry a couple years back?"

Midori didn't know a thing about that. So she made a production of eating the last of her lunch before Kanako could steal any more. "Whatever. It's not like it would be a career thing. You barely last two years."

"Done your research, I see."

"I know people," Midori admitted. She had hung around her aunts long enough to know that getting into acting as a youth wasn't good for her, so she had long since decided to go her own way. "Never saw the appeal of show business."

"Ah well, television's loss then."

 **The Foggy Stage  
** **After School** **  
**

Yu slipped in through the television, mission on his mind. While he had planned on doing this yesterday, things had gotten in the way, and he figured a break from the weirdness of the television was in order.

"Teddie?" He called out, looking for the strange being that inhabited this place. "Are you here?"

"Yes, I am!" the Bear appeared from 'back stage' and waddled out to meet him. "Why are you here?" Teddie put on an angry face. "No one else has been thrown in!"

"We know," Yu said. "But if there's the chance that happens again, we want to be prepared." He bowed. "Because of that, we would like your permission to come back and practice with our Personas and to beat up the Shadows."

Teddie thought about that. "There _are_ a lot of Shadows out there..." he muttered out loud. "You would be getting rid of them?"

"That's correct," Yu agreed. "But we wanted your permission first."

"Oh! You have it!" Teddie was pleased. "I have heard of something called a 'picnic basket'. Can you bring me one?"

Yu was taken aback by this. He had expected the more reclusive and isolationist Teddie, and prepared for more objections. He did not expect this nice and inviting Teddie. "Alright, I think we can do that. We just need to make arrangements on our end," he pointed behind him to where the televisions would be. "Are you feeling well?"

"I'm un-bear-ably perfect!" Teddie pronounced, puffing out his chest. "I... just missed having people to talk to. It gets lonely here, you know?"

That, Yu could understand. He knelt in front of the bear, "Don't worry," he said. "We'll be around."


	13. 27 April 2011 to 30 April 2011

**27 April 2011  
** **Konishi Liqueur  
** **Evening**

Midori set the brakes on the truck, then hopped out of the cab to help Saki load up the deliveries for the evening. It wasn't raining, but the fog was pretty thick. "Glad to see you could help," she said to Saki. "It was getting boring with your brother or Kanji-san trying to 'help' me with the heavy lifting." She emphasized this point by carrying a load larger than Saki up onto the bed of the truck and then pushing it down to make room for another load. There wasn't much this week, so they would be done fairly quickly.

Saki didn't respond, except to secure the deliveries down before hopping out of the bed and walking around to the cab and hopping in. Midori decided to wait until they were in the privacy of the truck before resuming their conversation.

"So, what are your plans for Golden Week?" She asked as she turned the engine over and released the brakes. "It starts on Friday." Midori put the truck in gear, and slowly began to accelerate out of the alley behind the store.

Saki didn't respond at first. And Midori wasn't about to pry. Instead, she nudged the vehicle out onto the road and turned toward their first delivery.

After their first delivery, Saki finally started talking. "I want to leave," she admitted.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was saying. Midori knew the implications instantly. "The big cities aren't paradise," she warned, but did not object to her friend's decision. "Besides, you've got months before you can move out."

"I have a boyfriend there," Saki whispered. "He'll take care of me."

That sent so many warning bells into Midori's mind she immediately pulled over to the side of the road and parked the truck. "I heard... no. What?" she demanded, forcing herself away from citing the Shadow as a source of information.

"I have a boyfriend, alright!" Saki yelled right back at Midori. "I can't stand it here any more! It's too small! Alright? You're lucky! You got to live there! I'm going to him during Golden Week, and if things turn out alright, I'm going to stay."

Midori's knuckles were white from the grip she held on the steering wheel. "No," she said. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"What do you care?" Saki snapped back. "You're a freak!"

That cut through far more than Midori knew was possible. "I... What I am capable of doing," Midori chose her words carefully, "is completely irrelevant to your decision," she bit back an insult, "to _move away_ because you're having a rough time with your family!"

"Like you would know," Saki crossed her arms in a huff.

"Yes, I do!" Midori's hands refused to relax. "My mother died, thank you very much, and _that_ is the sort of stress you can't even _begin_ to imagine. So don't you DARE tell me that I don't understand what having a bad home life is like."

"Shut up," Saki objected weakly. "You can't stop me."

"Who is it?" Midori demanded. "What's his name?"

"Going to look him up? Good luck with that. He's not in your class. He's a real person!"

Ignoring the jibe, Midori kept her gaze locked on to Saki, willing an answer out of her with all her might.

Saki refused to match her, and turned away. "Tell me," Midori repeated.

"You'll just tell my parents," Saki said.

"No," Midori promised without hesitation, knowing it would be easy to get around that promise. "What's his name?"

"Toshiro!" Saki yelled. "His name is Toshiro, and he's one of the Tokyo Demons!"

Midori went from the heat of her rage to the ice of fear. "Tell me you're lying," she begged.

"No! I'm not!"

"You have to be!"

"Shutup!" Saki yelled, then ripped open the door on her side. She hopped out before Midori could say anything else, and vanished into the night.

 **Tokyo**

Kaido's phone rang softly, and he made his excuses from his guys to answer it. The caller ID gave a number, but not a name, so he answered it politely. Maybe it was a wrong number?

"You bastard!" A woman's voice hissed at him. "Get your people in line!"

It took a moment for Kaido to place the voice – it was a tone he had never heard form her before. "Komaki?" he asked, hoping to clarify. "What are you talking about?"

"You find your Toshiro, and you tell him to break it off with Saki _right now_!"

Kaido was confused, but didn't let that show. "You got it wrong, I got no one by that name."

"Bullshit," she swore at him. "He said he was a member of your gang."

"Then he's lying," Kaido relaxed a little as he could tell that he was defusing the walking bomb on the other end. "Ain't the first time someone has done that. I've set them straight myself."

"..." Midori didn't say anything, though he could hear her breathing, plus some background noise that sounded like she was hitting something. He didn't ask how she got the number, he could guess that if she was that angry with him, then she could have gotten it from Mari, no problem.

"What happened?" he asked, hoping for more details. The more she talked, the less angry she got.

So he listened as Midori related the bare bones about how her friend apparently had a paramour in Tokyo, who was giving all the signs of taking advantage of her, and the last straw in both their minds was his claiming membership in the Demons.

"Gotcha," Kaido said. "I'll see what I can do on my end. Your girl, she up and leaves on you, you call me right away. I'll go meet her train and if this Toshiro shows up, well..." He let the implications hang in the air.

"Th.. thankyou." Midori spat out fast. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Kaido said. "You apologize to Mari when you're done. I'm pretty sure you were rude to her to get my number."

"I will."

"And," Kaido reached out for a moment, "this doesn't have to make us square. This dude? He's offending both of us. You don't have to feel like you're trying to make up to me, or me to you if you don't want." One did not reach the position he had without developing some diplomatic skills.

"I.. I think I can live with that," Midori said eventually.

"Good. Now, you take care of yourself. I'll take care of things on my end." Kaido didn't give her a chance to respond before he hung up. Levering himself off the wall, he turned to his people. "Hey! Anyone here with a friend named Toshiro who thinks he may be one of us? No? Well, there's a jackass out there who is using our name to puff himself up." He gave a feral smile, "I got my source keeping an eye on things, but let's see if we can't shake this guy loose first."

 **Yasoinaba**

Midori wiped the tears from her eyes. Calling Kaido was honestly one of the hardest things she had ever done, Demons and Persona related incidents included. Going on her knees to beg him for help left a weak and sick feeling in her stomach, enough that she was certain that she wouldn't be able to eat until tomorrow at the earliest.

But she had done it, consequences be damned. The next step was far easier. She pulled the brakes, and turned the truck around. Headed down the road, she quickly caught up to Saki, who was walking in the grass along the side of the road. "Get in," Midori said as she slowed down and reached over to open the other door. "Get in," she repeated.

"No," Saki shot back.

"I'm sorry!" Midori said as she checked the road ahead for a moment before turning back to her friend. "Look, I'm not going to stop you. But please, when you leave, give me a call. I'll... I'll square things up with your family." It was a desperate ploy, but it seemed to work. "I'll pay for your ticket myself, but I just can't stand leaving you alone. Please?"

Saki stopped, then climbed into the cab. "It was cold out," she said, refusing to admit to the real reason why she stepped back in. "You're a bitch, you know that?"

Midori smiled. "Yes, but I'm the sort of bitch who looks after her friends, no matter what. You're set on this, I'm not going to stop you." She did not go so far as to offer to get her a place in that city. It was expensive! And if Kaido was true to his word, it would be unneeded.

 **Dojima Household**

"I'm home!" Midori called out as she closed the door behind her and took off her shoes. She sniffed the air. "Ooh! Food!" She set aside her jacket and put down her school bag. "Who cooked?"

"I did," Yu said from the kitchen as Midori rounded the corner to it. Nanako was watching television with Ryotaro, some detective drama if she didn't miss her guess.

"You did," she looked suspiciously at her kitchen. "What did you make?"

"Nothing complex, just some stew," he said as he showed her to the table. "I talked with Teddie," he said in a whisper, Midori understanding that there was more to be said.

"Thank you," she replied as he set the bowl down in front of her, with a couple pieces of store-bought bread on the side. "Nanako, did you eat already?"

"Uh-huh!" she said as she curled up beside her father.

"Good!" Midori smiled and dug in. There was no need to bother everyone else with what happened while she was at work. It was private.

After she had done, she shooed Yu out of the kitchen, intent on doing the dishes herself. They had done the cooking, it was only proper that she clean up. Though despite her efforts, Yu took up position beside her to dry the dishes she washed. "How did it go?" she asked as she passed him a plate.

"He's agreed," Yu said, taking it.

"And this couldn't wait until after I was done cleaning?"

"Well," he replied, "I should be making myself useful, and this gives us a chance to talk without worry or complication."

"That is good," Midori accepted. "Is he agreeable to helping us should anyone else fall in?"

"Yes," he said. "Assuming of course that the Midnight Channel is correct in predicting things." He dried a bowl, then set it aside. "I also talked with Igor."

Midori glanced back and saw that Nanako was curled up with Ryotaro, watching the television. "And?"

"He explained to me about Social Links, and said you knew about them as well," he said quietly. "I seem to have formed one with Yosuke already, the Magician, and with the rest of the Rescue Team under the Fool."

"Huh," Midori paused only for a moment as she processed that. "Good for you. I'll tell you something that I told another with the same ability." She put her hands down onto the rim of the sink to avoid doing something she shouldn't. "Your ability to talk to people, to connect with them... if you abuse that for a mere _power-up_ , you will answer to me."

"Understood," Yu said without reacting to the threat. "You know, something occurred to me while I was thinking about all this."

"Thinking is good," Midori was pleased that he was taking some degree of initiative. "About what?"

"Well," Yu carefully stepped forward verbally. "You have mentioned that when you first started, you styled yourself as a Magical Girl."

"Yes?"

"And your Arcana is the Moon."

"Yes," Midori agreed, wondering where he was going. "And Frosty is the Fool."

"Well then," he said without a trace of a smile, "does that make you Sailor Moon?"

 **28 April 2011  
** **Yasogami High School, Class 2-2  
** **Lunch Time**

"You said what to her?" Chie just couldn't believe that Yu of all people had managed to pull that off. "Why couldn't I have been there? How did she react?"

"Who is Sailor Moon?" Yukiko asked.

"And the day gets better," Yosuke said with a laugh as Chie gaped.

 **29 April 2011  
** **Central Shopping District  
** **Daytime**

The first day of Golden Week arrived to fog and rain, the road and sidewalks slick with moisture. Amane had watched more than one person slip and fall along the hill. Approaching the shrine from the north, she passed by the closed storefront of the textiles store. The young man who worked there with his mother stood under the awning, clearly annoyed that the weather was not cooperating with his business.

"Tatsumi-san," she bowed in greeting. "How are you and your mother today?"

"I'm doin' well," the gruff young man replied. "You know you can call me Kanji, right?"

She did. "I choose to be formal," she replied. "And your mother?"

"Doing well," Kanji looked up at the sky. "Could do with more sun, you know?"

"I do," Amane said. "Though my purview does not include the weather." She held out one hand and felt the faint drizzle on it once it left the safety of her umbrella. "Thank you for your time," she bowed slightly.

"Hey!" Kanji stepped out for a moment to get her attention. "You, uh, friends with Komaki-sempai, right?"

"I am," Amane said with no regrets. "Is there a problem?"

"Nah. Not really." He looked uncomfortable, though he was still thinking about what he wanted to discuss. "It's about school, you know."

"Ah," Amane had never had formal schooling, and she was still grateful for Midori and her friend for their help in her studies to pass the necessary courses. "However, if you do have such concerns, and are unsure if you can confide in Midori, perhaps you can speak to Dan? The Council President? They know each other, and speaking to one can be as good as speaking to the other without concern."

"Eh, I think? Maybe?" It seemed to the priestess that Kanji had not considered that option. "I might just..."

"I will let you think on it then," she bowed again and left him behind.

"See ya!" he yelled out to her, then returned to his own thoughts.

Amane decided that with Tatsumi speaking to her, it would behoove her to check on everyone else. Golden Week was normally good for business, but the fortunes of the Shopping District still suffered as of late. Backtracking to the top of the street, she started to work her way down, first speaking to the Konishi family, then wandering down.

When she reached the Tofu shop - Marukyu, she was surprised to find it open. "Grandmother?" she called out as she opened the door, shaking the water off her umbrella behind her. The old woman who ran the shop was not related to her, but out of respect for her age, everyone referred to her as such. "Are you open?"

It was odd, as the shop was usually open on the weekends. And she made sure to purchase tofu from her every week. It was actually very good.

"Yes, I am dear!" the elderly shop owner came out to the front. "How are you?"

The two exchanged mundane pleasantries before Amane got back to her question. "It's odd for you to be open today," she said as she checked her purse for what change she had on hand. "Is it the holiday?"

"No, nothing of the sort, Miko-chan. Rather, I received word that my granddaughter was coming back to town in a few weeks, and I wanted to get the store back into working shape for when she returns! No sense in having the place look all abandoned now, will it?"

"Of course not!" Amane replied with a smile. "I hope there is no trouble?"

"No, I don't think so. She's a nice girl. I think you two would get along splendidly!"

Finding nothing really out of the ordinary, Amane paid for a bit of Tofu for her lunch, then took her leave. The rest of the circuit of the shopping district occurred without much fanfare, and she returned to the shrine in peace. The Fox was waiting for her at the entrance, acting less like a fox, and more like a watchdog as she crossed into the shrine.

"What?" she asked of it, though it had long since stopped replying with words.

Instead, the Fox simply kept its vigil, as though it were warding against the Fog itself.

 **30 April 2011  
** **Yasoinaba Train Station  
** **Early Morning**

Midori climbed out of her daddy's car, glad that he left the keys in the front hall. Sneaking into his room to get them would have been awkward at the best. Instead, once she had taken the call from Saki, she had gotten dressed, and snuck out of the house on the clear and cool morning to pick up her friend and take her to the train station.

She hated the way she had to do things, but in the end nor could she figure out a better way. Oh, she had plenty of thoughts on _different_ ways, but they all resulted in worse outcomes. She pulled out the single small bag of Saki's, glad that her friend was packing light.

True to her word, she paid for the ticket, "It's two way," she said as she handed it over. "Just in case you decide to come back." That she had laid plans for Saki to return the same day was not something she was going to say out loud.

"Thanks, but I don't think that will be needed," Saki said as she took the ticket. "You're not going to try and stop me?"

Midori shook her head. "If the fact you're cutting out the last couple semesters of High School wasn't enough to stop you, I doubt I could."

"I'll just study to finish my education later," Saki said as they waited for the train to announce boarding calls.

"Got your toothbrush?" Midori asked.

"Yep."

"Spare clothes?"

"Of course."

"Cash?"

"I'm not a child!"

"Protection?"

"Pro..? For what?"

"Sex," Midori said plainly. "You. Boyfriend. I'm not an idiot."

Saki was flustered for a minute before regaining some level of composure, but her face was still red. "Midori!" she tried to chastise her friend in the quiet morning, even as other people stood on the platform, ignoring the two of them.

"I have to check!" the younger of the two objected before the two of them settled down into silence to wait.

Soon, the train arrived, and Saki boarded. The train left, and Midori placed a call.

 **Tokyo**

Kaido hung up. "Hey guys," he said aloud to the people around him. "I just got a lead on the wimp who thinks he's one of us. Seems like his out-of-town girlfriend is coming and should be at the train station in about 6 hours. Now, the girl ain't involved in all this, and I got her picture." He held up his phone to show it. "Me and a couple guys go to the station, wait for her, find out who is picking her up, and deal with it then. I want a couple girls to come with to be nice to her. Any volunteers?"

 **Inaba  
** **Komaki Household**

Midori closed the front door behind her, the lights in the house indicated her daddy wasn't awake yet. He was probably sleeping in, given that it was Golden Week, and even his company respected the time off.

Naturally, that was when her phone rang. Jumping in fright, she yanked the device out of her pocket, fumbling with it before getting a grip on it and herself. "Hello?" she answered as soon as she pressed the right buttons.

"Midori?" Yu's voice came to her. "How are you?"

Swallowing to drive her heart down from her throat, she calmed down. Her manipulations had not been discovered. "Well," she said. "I got up early."

"I was wondering if we should get everyone together and meet up with Teddie," her cousin said. "Get that practice in on a day off."

Midori took a moment to remember what he was talking about. "Right," she replied. "Good idea. When is everyone meeting?"

"I thought I should ask your permission first," Yu said without a hint of apology.

Then Midori realized he was being serious, and he was looking to her for direction. "1PM" she said, the first time she could think of. "Meet up for lunch, eat, then go practice."

"That's a good idea. Should we pack anything else?"

"I will take care of that," Midori didn't want to entrust that to anyone else just yet. She had packed stuff last time out of a desire to be prepared, but this time she knew she would have a better idea of what was needed. "We'll only be there for an hour. I trust you to contact everyone else?"

"Shall we meet at Junes, or somewhere else?"

"Junes," she said without thinking about it. "Everyone knows it, and we can sort out future details once everyone is present."

"Agreed. I will be there." Midori heard Yu hang up before setting down her phone. She thought about it for a moment before letting loose a small giggle. Here she was, in a position where _fighting Shadows_ was the less stressful option in her day.

Things were back to normal, it seemed. Putting her shoes away, she started to put together a list of things she would take on this expedition, and to try and figure out who would be responsible for what later.

 **Junes Department Store  
** **Rooftop Food Court  
** **Lunchtime**

Midori headed for the table where Chie and Yukiko were sitting, the long bench under the canvas cover to keep the worst of the sun off. The weather had cleared up massively over the past few hours, revealing the sun with not a cloud in the sky to even threaten rain.

"Hello," she greeted her two juniors as she sat down without asking permission. "How are you two doing?"

Chie leaned back to get out of the shade, and the sun on her face, kicking up her legs to balance herself. "This is going to be awesome!"

"Will the Priestess be joining us?" Yukiko asked as she sipped her bottled tea.

"She has a name, you know." Midori said as she broke open the disposable chopsticks, and made a quick prayer over her food before eating. "Amane."

"I can't call her that! That's too casual!" Chie objected, earning an agreeing nod from her friend. "What's her family name?"

"Uh..." Midori struggled to remember. Was she still using her real name, or was she using Mari's name? "Kuzuryu or Mochizuki. I can't remember."

"You can't _remember_?" Chie asked, incredulous.

"I have always been on a first name basis with her, Satonaka." Midori objected, and used Chie's family name to drive the point home. "If you're concerned, you can ask her yourself."

"Hey girls!" Yosuke arrived, rolling up the apron that he wore while working. "Hey, Midori-sensei? Have you seen Saki-san today? She didn't show up for her shift."

Midori's face turned sour. "I don't know where she is," she honestly replied as her train couldn't have made it to Tokyo yet.

"Darn. She's skipping shifts, and when you see her next, could you tell her that the boss is angry with her? Like, ready to fire her mad." Yosuke took a seat on the same side as Midori, but kept a respectful distance between them.

"You like her, don't you?" Chie asked with a grin, pointing her chopsticks at him. "I know it!"

"H..hey!" Yosuke tried to fend off the accusation. "She's a co-worker, alright? Dude, seriously!"

"And she's older too!" Chie kept up her attack. "You don't mess around, do you?"

"Satonaka!" Midori snapped. "Inappropriate." She leveled accusation and judgment in the same word. "Now we wait for Yu and Amane."

"They were last on Sunday as well," Yukiko noted. "Perhaps she does not know the way, and Yu is guiding her?"

"Or not," Midori said as she saw Amane enter the food court over. She raised a hand, and waved until she had her attention. "Hey!" she said as Amane got closer, once again dressed casually. "Did you see Yu on your way up?"

"I did not," Amane sat down across from Midori. "I was told the meeting was at 1PM. We are all early."

"We're early to eat," Chie said.

"Have you gotten lunch already?" Yukiko asked.

"I ate before leaving," Amane said as she looked around the table before turning her gaze to Midori. "This is just training, correct? Practice?"

Midori nodded, unable to answer with words as her mouth was full. After she swallowed, she gave a proper response. "Yes. I'm a bit out of practice myself, and everyone should be well aware of what everyone else is capable of."

"Like yourself," Amane pointed out.

"And you," Midori said in return. "This will be your first time, so we want to ease you into it. Don't worry, I have plenty of experience, and will make sure you aren't hurt..." She stopped talking as she found herself the center of attention. "What?"

"Phrasing!" Yosuke said.

"Yeah!" Chie said. "You sounded like you were talking about, you know, _this and that_."

"I WAS NOT!" Midori yelled, astounded that they would come to that conclusion. "Just... Oh, shut up."

It was to that outburst that Yu finally arrived. "Hey," he said with a small wave, his other hand holding a tray of food. "I didn't miss anything, did I?"

"No," Amane said, ending any possible chance of informing him of her friend's verbal misstep. "We were simply holding civil conversation."

"Ah," he said as he picked a spot beside Yosuke. "Nothing of interest then?" he asked of the other guy at the table.

"No," Yosuke admitted. "Dude, we gotta get at least another guy in on this," he then muttered.

"Like Teddie?" Yu whispered back. "Midori-sensei?" he raised his voice to get her attention.

"Yes?"

"Do you think that Teddie would be able to leave the Television World? Come into ours, I mean?"

Midori thought about that for a couple moments. She didn't really have a lot of reference where that sort of thing was concerned, but while she couldn't confirm it was possible – even Ryoji stayed 'human' when at school, for all the interactions she had with him during those tense weeks. But she couldn't discount it either. "It should be," she said carefully. "He has a sufficient sense of self to stay as he is."

"What do you mean by that?" Amane prodded.

Unable and unwilling to dismiss her friend's question as she could anyone else, Midori delayed her answer by eating some more. "It's like this," she said as she decided to spout off a half-formed idea, based on incomplete information. "We are who we are. We are real. Teddie appears to have the same sense of self, the notion of the _I_. Shadows, in general, do not."

"So what about the Shadows of people like Chie and Amane, before they become Personas?"

Midori shook her head. "No, they cannot. They are too bound up in the person that they come from to recognize themselves as unique. I _suppose_ it might be possible for you to... escort your Shadow out, but I don't know where to begin to describe what could happen."

"Bad things, I would presume." Amane concluded.

"Exactly!" Midori was pleased that others would not try something like that. "So, plans." She moved the subject to a more immediate concern. "This will just be a quick trip for practice and orientation. No more than an hour."

"You've said it before," Chie objected, eager to get to the actual fighting part.

"And I will say it again," Midori shored up her grip on leadership through experience. "This is a practice run. Everyone gets to use their Persona with backup."

"I think that's acceptable," Yukiko said. "Thank you for taking care of us!" she bowed slightly from her sitting position, using the words better associated with someone taking a new job, or transferring to a new class.

So Midori bowed politely in return. "I will," she said. "Once everyone is done eating and cleaned up, we will meet in the electronics section."


	14. 30 April 2011 to 02 May 2011

**The Television World  
** **Teddie's Stage**

Midori was the first one to enter this time, and she quickly cleared the way for the rest to enter. The Fog was gone, thanks to her glasses, and a quick survey indicated that Teddie wasn't present. "Teddie!" she called out, "Are you home?"

"Coming!" The voice came from behind the stage again, giving rise in Midori a resolve to check there first next time. "I was just tidying up."

She didn't believe him, but didn't say so. "Thank you for letting us come," she said as she heard more arrivals behind her. "Will you be joining us?"

"Of course!" Teddie said as he walked toward her. "My nose is perfect! I will lead you to those mean and nasty Shadows for you to beat them up!"

"We're all here," Yu announced from behind her as the last one in.

"I can barely see a thing," Amane then said.

"Right! Glasses!" Teddie walked past Midori and up to Amane. "Here you go!" He produced another set from... somewhere on him and offered them to the priestess.

For Amane, the approach of the waddling thing would have been cause for concern, if not outright worry except for the fact that Midori had vouched for his good behavior. The others had chimed in their own agreement, but she was more willing to trust the blue-haired teenager first. "Thank... you," she said as she reached out and delicately took the offered object.

At first glance, it was a completely normal pair of glasses. The lenses were flat as they didn't need to correct her vision – unlike Midori, she mused, who needed that – and the frames were thin metal wires that carefully ran under the lenses. She put them on, and found the vanished fog to be a relief, a sense of oppression that she wasn't fully aware of fading away. "Very comfortable," she said.

"Very fashionable," Yukiko said. "It suits you."

"I know! They're grrrrr-eat!" Teddie lapsed into a growled comment, a reinforcement of his own verbal tics.

Midori clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "Thank you again, Teddie," she said. "Now, remember, we've only got an hour, so let's get back to the false temple."

Amane stiffened. "Do we have to?"

"It's the only spot we have that we can practice in," Midori replied. "And I'm not going to have us practice on each other."

That made a lot of sense to everyone, and they all fell in behind Teddie as he led the way back to the Temple. Amane walked beside Midori, and while she wanted to ask some more questions, found that her voice failed her.

And when the red walls of the temple came into sight, she stiffened. It was enough that Midori reached out to comfort her. "It's a stage," Midori reminded her friend. "We can burn it all down later."

"Thank you for the offer," Amane said appreciatively.

 **Temple**

In the lobby, Yu saw the nod from Midori and stepped up. "Amane-san," he addressed the newest member of their group, "you will be with myself, Midori-sensei and Yosuke for our first round of practice. Chie, Yukiko, Teddie, you'll be watching our backs."

"Right!" Chie said with pride. "Protecting Yukiko!"

"I can fight too," her friend objected quietly.

"I know! But when you do fight, I'll be right there."

Yu pulled out his golf club, Midori not quite certain where he kept it. She drew her truncheon while Yosuke checked his wrenches. Amane looked on in confusion. "Am I supposed to be armed?"

"Only if you feel like it," Midori said. "Chie uses her feet, while Yukiko somehow got her hands on a steel fan."

Amane shook her head at the old memories. "I should have known."

"Make sure it's not something that will get you into trouble with Junes," Yu warned her. "We got in trouble for that once already."

"Or," Midori flipped her weapon end over end, "pick something you can hide."

"I see..." Amane seemed a little reluctant to arm herself.

"No one says you _need_ one," Midori said to comfort her. "But it helps against these sorts of enemies."

"I recall the last one you used was more ornate," Amane said, looking at Midori's JSDF weapon.

"Eh, I've grown out of the 'fancy wand' stage of being a magical girl," she shrugged.

"Let's head in," Yu said. "Amane-san, please follow our lead."

The group ascended the stairs, and pushed open the flower-faced door, leading into the dungeon-like recesses of the fake temple.

The first Shadow they encountered was a single Maya-type, and Midori quickly explained to Amane what that meant.

"So," Amane held the Persona-card in front of her, examining it carefully. "I activate this?"

"Yes," Yu said as he readied himself for the defense. He would ask why Midori and Amane used the same different method later. "This one is for you."

Midori saw in Amane's eyes the same determination that faced down Demons, and knew that this would be easy for her. "It helps to call out the name of your Persona when you first do it," she offered some verbal support.

"Very well," Amane said. Holding the card in her hands like it was a charm against evil, she threw it dramatically forward. "Jezebel! Come forth!" The moment it left her hands though, the card vanished and from that point emerged Jezebel.

Unlike the thing they had fought a week earlier, this version of her inner self was more humanoid, though no less inhuman. Standing nearly seven feet tall, the wooden woman posed like some runway model before reaching out with one hand and snapping her fingers. A faintly pink pollen spread out from the Persona, and wafted out across the simple Shadow. As they landed on it, the pink dust stuck to it, and the motions of the thing became less aggressive.

"What did you just do?" Yosuke asked, confused.

Midori recognized this, though it had been a long time since she had seen it in action. "You charmed it," she said without accusation.

"Correct," Amane said as the card reformed in her hands. "I think it suits me."

Midori didn't have much of a retort to that, so she let it slide, watching as the Shadow struck itself, rather than attack any of the humans. "What else?"

"I can remove such mental impediments from our allies, give them clarity of thought and purpose."

"Amrita?" Midori named the skill after a moment's recollection.

"No, nothing so powerful," Amane corrected her. "Patra, I believe it is called."

"Oh!" Midori smiled as she recognized it. "Room to grow then." Then she frowned in thought. "Do you have anything more... offensive?"

"Hey! We're fighting here!" Yosuke said as he watched the charmed Shadow beat itself up.

Midori glanced at the Shadow. "Nothing you can't handle." She turned back to Amane. "So... you know?" she asked, referring back to her previous question.

Amane frowned. "No, not yet. Much like you, I have some idea of where this Persona will grow, and while I can sense that there will be some form of direct harm it can deal, it is not what it is meant to do ."

Midori took a moment to parse that, then realized that the Shadow was still standing. She manifested Frosty and burned it without a second glance, allowing Yu to finish it off. "Wait... you're a _priestess_. You have a better sense for this than I do."

"Perhaps," Amane agreed, "but you are also more experienced than I am. I take your lead."

"I put Yu in charge for a reason," Midori objected as the young man in question and Yosuke started their hunt for another Shadow.

"That reason being his skill," Amane pointed out. "I see you, and how much you've changed. You could do this yourself, but you chose the best option. Such a thing is a mark of good leadership."

"I don't know if that's a compliment or not," Midori replied, warily.

 **Tokyo  
** **Train Station, Shin-Aomori Line**

Saki stepped off the train, her bag in her hand as she took in the sights of the train station. It wasn't all that impressive, but it was _new_. It wasn't the same dreary rain-soaked roads, the small, stifling town, the irritating intruders on her personal life.

She looked around for her boyfriend, eyes passing over people as she sought his hair. There! He was waiting over by one of the vending machines. How sweet, he was getting her a drink to celebrate her arrival!

She released one hand from holding her bag, and waved, calling out his name to get his attention. He saw her and raised both bottles to welcome her.

She ran over and set down her bag. "Hello!" she said with joy, reaching up to wrap her arms around his shoulders, to give him a kiss.

"So, yer the fucker whose been saying he's one of us." The low and threatening voice came from beside Saki and she paused to look at the man who would dare get in the way of her love...

He was a thug. Dyed pink hair was slicked back and he leaned forward, hands in his pockets. "So, I hear that some idiot has been saying that he's one of my guys to pick up chicks, and naturally I think that this is just a guy bluffing, nothing to worry about. Then..," he got really close to the two of them, and Saki was now aware that they were surrounded, "then I get a call from a person who hates me, letting me know that this person has gone above and beyond. Made it _personal_."

The grim and frightening gang member looked at Saki, a smile on his face. "And you must be Saki-chan!" he said warmly, in complete contrast to the threatening tone he had a moment ago. "My name is Tadashi Nikaido, the leader of the Tokyo Demons. I'm really sorry about this. There's no easy way to say this, but you've been played. Yer a victim of this asshole," he reached out and put a hand on the boyfriend's shoulder, a grip that was as hard as steel. "And because he's been abusing the name of my Demons, I have to step in directly."

Saki felt fear as a hand came down on her shoulder gently, She spun her head around to see that a woman with spiky black hair, an ear piercing and the hint of a tattoo under her collar was gently trying to pull her out. "So, you're from Yasoinaba, huh? My sister had her honeymoon up thataway last year. Said it's beautiful. Now, you're going to come with me while Kaido and your man have a private discussion. I'm gonna be showing you the sights, take you shopping, and when the boys are done, I'll bring you back, alright?"

There was no arguing with this, and Saki was pulled away, fearing for her safety, but with nothing she could do about it.

 **Junes Department Store**

The group extracted themselves from the Television World without difficulties. The hour's worth of practice had paid off for everyone, and they were all a lot more comfortable now that they weren't rushing through trying to rescue someone.

They all broke up, agreeing to let Midori set the next gathering unless an emergency came up. "Of course," she had agreed, even though she had no idea _when_ it should take place. The pace of exploration for Tartarus had a far more imperative ending than the Television world. For now, at least.

"Thinking?" Amane asked as the two of them left Junes together.

"Yeah," Midori said. "Gotta write a lot of stuff down. Gotta give Yu pointers about team management. It helps if I simply treat this as a school club with off-campus activities."

"I have questions, if I may?"

Midori would never stop her. "Go ahead."

"Your Frosty, you modeled him on Black Frost?"

"Not really," Midori recalled her first meeting with Igor less than two years previous. "Did I tell you what happened that started this for me?"

Amane waited for someone to pass them by before speaking again. "No."

"Well, you called the Midnight Hour the Witching Hour, right?"

"Yes. I was aware of it after... after we started our foolishness."

"Well, I wasn't. It was a couple weeks after that thing was done, and I was pretty much on top of the source of it when I got drawn in. I panicked, hid, and when other people came in to beat up the monsters, I got involved. Without the same protections. I got hurt for my troubles, and I sorta called for _him_. He came, beat up the monster, then left. Igor was really mad at me, but we talked about it, and when he did his thing with me, we used Frosty as my model, like you chose Jezebel for yours."

"Ah," Amane said. "I think I see. I, being more aware of the true nature of what was going on, had more of an option in the construction of my... Persona."

"Huh? What?"

"I... chose to reject certain aspects of Jezebel, and instead incorporated my own personal desires into this thing."

Midori felt betrayed that she never had that option, but then it was countered by the realization that then Frosty wouldn't be Frosty, and there was no way she could have that. "Good for you!" she said after a moments hesitation. "But I wouldn't change Frosty, ever!"

"Your loyalty does you credit," Amane said, having benefited from it before, and would again. "Have others questioned you regarding Frosty and their own?"

"You mean stuff like Igor-made Personas and naturally occurring ones?"

"Yes."

"No," Midori replied. "Rather I made people think that those events where we first met were all Personas, and not what really happened."

"You... what..? How?"

"I'm just that good!" Midori said with a skip. "Besides, they did most of the convincing themselves, I just let them make mistakes that made sense to them."

Amane revised her opinion of Midori a little towards manipulative. At least when she spoke to her followers, she was working with the results of her father's own charisma. Midori didn't even have that to start with.

"So, you mentioned tweaking your Jezebel," Midori changed the subject a little. "How so?"

"I rejected her use of fire," Amane described what she and Igor had decided. "I remember the lake, and I let myself be open to it, which you took advantage of when you saved me."

"Yeah, Agi working like that was odd," Midori didn't think too much about that at the time, but in retrospect it should have been suspicious. "But Frosty was Frosty, so I trusted him to be awesome!"

"And he was. And is. Anyway, I still have that.. weakness when invoking my power, it cannot be removed easily. From there, you mentioned offensive powers?"

"Yeah."

"I can invoke the wind."

"Oooh! Wind through the leaves! That's pretty! Garu!" Midori paused for a moment, the gears clicking. "That means you're going to double up with Yosuke. Have to keep that in mind."

"And you overlap with your juniors," Amane pointed out. "One does not obsolete the other."

"No, Chie is far more physical than me, and Yukiko has some healing backing her up, as does Yosuke. We're lacking a proper Zio user, as well as Mudo and Hama."

"What about Zan?"

"Same thing as Garu, effectively."

"Ah." Amane waited for a while, enjoying the bright sunshine of the day on her face. "What are you doing for the rest of the day?"

"Eh," Midori waffled. She wouldn't mind hanging out with Amane. "I've got homework to catch up on, the first applications for University to send off, planning out multiple training schedules for my club."

"Very busy. Very mature. You've grown."

Midori's smile was strained. "Don't remind me, please."

 **Komaki Household  
** **Evening**

Midori's cellphone rang, and she plucked it off the table from beside her applications. Most of them were preliminary work, they needed at least her first term's marks before she could be considered a serious candidate, which meant summertime.

"Moshi-mosh, Midori-Dess!" She greeted the person on the other end with all the cheeriness she didn't feel, her hand aching from holding the pen so much. She needed the change.

"Yo," Kaido said politely.

"Well?" she stopped being cheerful.

"You're right. Guy was an ass. Your girl is spending the night safe with some of mine. She's not taking this nicely, but we'll be sending her home tomorrow. Tried to make her stay in Tokyo not a bad one, but she really needs a friend."

"I've been trying," Midori found herself saying, "but she won't listen."

"I can't do much more here," Kaido deflected the point. "I'll send her your way, and you won't have to worry about this guy any more."

"Did you hurt him?"

"Do you want to know?"

Midori responded by hanging up.

 **Yasoinaba Train Station  
** **Afternoon  
** **01 May 2011**

Midori waited for the train to pull in. A message left on her phone let her know when Saki was leaving, and that she was being escorted to 'make sure she got home safely'.

The train pulled in, and Saki got off, her bag in her hands, and her head hung low. Midori walked over, took her bag, and hugged her, without a word needing to be said.

 **Yasogami High School, Front Gate  
** **Afternoon  
** **02 May 2011**

Despite being summoned by Morooka-sensei, Midori was dressed casually. Golden Week was still in full effect, and she wasn't required to wear her uniform at all times. Waiting by the front gate, she pondered why she should be summoned.

After some thought, she figured it was Student Council related, and she was more available than Dan.

"Hello," Dan said as he walked up the road. Midori turned to him, her confirmation about the subject matter made manifest. "You're early."

"I've got good legs thanks to club," she replied, checking her watch. "I wasn't told you would be here."

"An oversight, I think." Dan said as he checked his own phone for the time. "How are you doing?" There was a trace of personal inquiry there, which Midori picked out with ease.

"Well," she replied to answer him, cutting off the more personal interaction with the impending presence of Morooka. "And yourself?"

"Busy," he replied just as curtly. "Morooka-sensei!" He saw their teacher, and called out.

The hunched teacher walked over to the gate and unlocked it, opening it enough to let the two students in. "Yer here," he said. "Good." From him, it was less a compliment, and more an acceptance that they would be present. "Come on, got some stuff in the Teachers' offices to work on."

The three of them entered the otherwise empty school, switching out shoes, and then heading for the office space Morooka shared with the other teachers. Once in, he sat at his desk, inviting Midori and Dan to sit. "Got some things for you," he said, plucking out an opened envelope, passing it to Midori. She pulled out the folder within, and started to read through it. "Yer club has invitations to summer, fall and winter competitions. We need stuff in there filled out by the end of the month for the one in August, later for the other ones."

"Of course," Midori said as she scanned the sheets before putting them away. "I can handle that by the end of the week. Let me talk to my girls."

"Excellent! The school has high hopes for you again, a successful sports club helps everyone." Morooka was unsubtle in his implications, but Midori let it slide off her. Her club. Her girls.

"Now," he said as he pulled out a larger pile of papers, "this has been in the works for months now, and the Principal himself has been working on it." He handed some to Midori, and a similar pile to Dan. "We've negotiated a class exchange for the fall. In the third week of September most likely." He beamed at Midori. "You were vital for it. 'Cause you were here, Gekkoukan High and their board was more than willing to agree. We'll be sending our First and Second Years there for a couple days so they can see what a good place that is, while they will be sending us their classes so they can see how good we are."

Morooka was triumphant. "The Board President was so happy when your name came up, she pretty much agreed on the spot."

"Kirijo-san," Midori said flatly.

"That's her name! We're still sorting out the details like logistics and stuff, but the details are in the papers there. Look them over. This is something that you can be proud of when you move on from our school."

Midori looked up at Morooka, her face a perfect mask of pleasant thoughts. "Thank you sensei!" she said. "I will do us all proud."

"I got to tell you though, that part of the agreement was that you go as the formal representative of our school," Morooka said. "I'm going as a teacher, but you were the only one named directly, as the bridge between our schools."

Neither Dan nor Morooka failed to notice how Midori's knuckles turned white, the stress from the revelations expressing themselves as she gripped the papers tightly. Neither did they bring any attention to it. "I called you here so you can work on that, look it over, make suggestions about things here, where you won't be distracted." Morooka pointed down the line of desks the teachers used. "Grab a spot, start reading."

 **Dojima Residence  
** **Evening**

Midori slammed the buttons on her phone, thankful that Yu was doing homework, while Nanako and her uncle were watching television. The number was one she hadn't used in a while, but she was still in e-mail contact.

The phone rang a couple times, then was answered. "Hello?" Chihiro answered.

"Chi!" Midori shortened her name in her haste to get to the heard of the matter. "Have you been told?"

"Huh? Midori? Told what?"

"My school! Yours! Exchange!" It was hard to be loud and quiet at the same time, but she made it work. Leaning against the kitchen counter, she could keep everyone in front of her away from her conversation.

"You mean the thing in the fall? That's your school?"

"Yes!" Midori hissed. "Mitsuru-san arranged things. I just got told today!"

"I knew it was happening, but not some of the details..." Chihiro drifted off for a moment, then came back to the conversation. "Alright. Alright. I'll ask around. Get some details. Email you when I have things."

"Thanks," Midori relaxed a little. "This just came out of nowhere, you know?"

"I hear you. That means you're coming back for a few days!"

"That's true," Midori smiled. She still hadn't told anyone else yet, but would as soon as she wrapped her head around all this. "It'll be good to see you again."

"You too. Now, go relax. You're sounding stressed."

"I should," Midori admitted. "I just don't have the time to."

"Well, I am President of our Council, so I will stay here to greet you. Worst comes to worst, you just nap through it all, and I do all the work."

"I would never do that!" Midori objected. "Actually, could you send me contact info for your Vice President? The one who will be coming up here? I can pass that along to our President, and they can make arrangements up here."

"That sounds like a good start," Chihiro agreed. "Anything else?"

"No, not really."

"Then good night, Midori."

"Night, Chihiro."

With that done, she waited a moment, then made another call. This time, it wasn't picked up right away, but she held on until either the voicemail kicked in, or it was answered. It was the latter.

"Hello?"

"Fuuka!" Midori greeted her fellow with a cheery voice. "How are you?"

"Midori! It's odd for you to call me directly." Fuuka didn't sound as objecting as her words conveyed. "How are you?"

"Oh, this and that," Midori replied as she shifted against the counter. "Golden Week, got information about tournaments this year so I have to plan around those. How about you?"

"Busy," Fuuka replied, sounding just a little tired. "Keeping up with schoolwork and Mitsuru-san's project," she didn't name the Shadow Hunters as she had been trained to when dealing with people not in it, "and all that comes from that particular project."

"Well, if At-low is anything but supportive, you tell me. I'll set him straight for you," Midori promised.

"You don't have to do that!" Fuuka objected, seemingly embarrassed.

"Yes, I do!" Midori affirmed. "You're my friend."

"Thank you," Fuuka said. "I get a boyfriend, I'll definitely introduce you." She laughed a little, and Midori did as well. "But there's something else you wanted to talk about...?" She prodded Midori just a little.

"Yeah," Midori said, switching to the real purpose of the conversation. "Were you told anything about the class trip in September?"

"Uh... vaguely?" Fuuka sounded confused. "I'm at university now, so I don't really pay much attention to things..."

"Well, they're coming here," Midori informed Fuuka. "Here, as in Yasogami High School. And my juniors are headed there in exchange for a couple days."

For a moment there was silence, Fuuka processing what Midori said. "Oh!" she finally put all the pieces together on her end. "That was what Mitsuru-san was working on with the school!"

Midori crossed the arm not holding the phone over her chest. "Yep," she said. "Guess who found out about that today?"

"Oh! Isn't it wonderful!" Fuuka obviously missed Midori's tone of voice. "Does that mean we get to see you again?"

Midori accepted that as a positive outcome, but had to move on with her concerns. "I'm just worried that she," still no use of Mitsuru's name, "did all this concerning my school and did it behind my back."

Fuuka caught up. "Oh. I don't know what to say..."

"Well, that you were out of the loop is comforting," Midori said to make it clear she wasn't blaming Fuuka at all, "I've already talked with President Chihiro, so me, her, my President and her Vice-President are all going to be in the loop regarding plans going forward."

"That's good to hear. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not really, unless you want to break into her computer and grab all the plans she's made for this trip so I'm not caught off guard anymore." Midori's suggestion was only half-joking, though she was worried that Fuuka might take it the wrong way.

"I don't think I should do that," her friend replied. "I'm sorry I can't be much more help."

"That's alright. Just make sure Aigis knows she doesn't have to drop everything to help either."

"She would, wouldn't she," Fuuka mused. "You know, you should call Junpei and Chidori. The dorm doesn't have anyone who wasn't us in it, so there should be plenty of room for you."

"That would be nice," Midori said. "So..." she launched into the casual nothings that marked discussions more in line with their mutual age group.


	15. 03 May 2011 to 04 May 2011

**Tatsuhime Shrine  
** **Afternoon  
** **03 May 2011**

"Thank you all for coming!" Midori greeted the members of her club that had been able to show up on short notice. "Yesterday, I got our tournament schedule," she held up the papers she had gotten from Morooka for all to see. "There are three major ones this coming year, Summer, Fall and Winter. The Summer one requires us to have a list of people going by the end of the week due to being in early August." She handed out the sign-up and information sheets for people to read. "The ones in the fall and winter don't need to be committed to so quickly, but I would like you to keep them in mind." She waited for people to pass around the sheets. "You all signed up to be on the competitive team, so I want you all to volunteer for at least one tournament. I will be going to all three, unless unforeseen circumstances get in the way." Naturally she would lead by example.

"You don't have to give me your name now," she let them know, "but I do need to know by the end of the week so I can start making the appropriate arrangements."

She then spent a few minutes answering questions from the first years, and some of the second years who had joined up this year is regards to how these things were handled. She assured them that she had experience in such things, and would be there in case things went wrong. It was nothing out of the ordinary, really.

"Hey," Chie finally handed her back the papers, the competitive girl refusing to play 'casual' as Yukiko chose to, "Signed up for all three."

Midori gave her a stern look. "You sure? There's no shame in letting your seniors pick up the first tournament while you practice for later ones."

Chie, naturally, refused to back down. "Of course!"

Mentally shrugging, Midori knew that there were plenty of ways she could take Chie out of the equation if she couldn't uphold her end. "Very well," she said as she checked the name. Chie had written her name out simply, in contrast to using a stamp or seal. "How's Yukiko?"

"At work," Chie grumbled. "Tourists, and I'm not allowed in 'cause I'll be a distraction." That also explained to Midori why Chie was here, looking for something to do.

"When you have time, please make sure that she gets a proper sports bra," Midori said. "I can see you're wearing one, so it should be easy for you to help her with that. It's part of the dress code for the club."

"I hear you," Chie mumbled, though for reasons that were not immediately related to Midori.

"You want to talk?" Midori asked as she smiled and bowed to a couple of her first years who still had to make a decision, but were not going to do it here and now.

"Where would I even begin?" Chie shook her head. "Not here. With so many people."

"You have my number," Midori said, given that everyone involved in the Rescue Team had exchanged telephone numbers, just in case. "Give me a call."

"Sure." Chie said with a bow. "I'm going to leave now."

Midori returned the gesture before moving on to the next group of her club members.

 **Central Shopping District  
** **Main Thoroughfare** **  
**

Naoto Shirogane watched the temple grounds casually as she played the part of out-of-town tourist. There was a small effort to convert the local economy away from farming toward that end, and because of that, there were a few out-of-towners along this road, taking in the ambiance. Therefore, it was easy for her to integrate herself into that population.

Resetting her cap, she watched as the target of her current observation, Komaki Midori, left the shrine grounds in the company of the shrine maiden, Mochizuki Amane. The two were obviously friends by the way they held themselves, and Naoto pulled out her notebook to review her notes regarding this case.

Police Officer Tohru Adachi's autopsy report indicated moderate burns caused both by heat and by cold, which the doctor attributed to the electrical wires he was found on in addition to being out over night and partly freezing. Except that wasn't the case at all. The burns were more consistent with an open flame, and the freezing like someone had struck him with an icicle. It was... quite odd. Enough to justify her own secondary investigation, especially given the official results.

Another irregularity was in the investigations concerning people who knew the deceased, and whom he was last seen with. Officially, he had finished interviewing a witness to the death of the reporter, whom had been picked up by a friend before he vanished.

That friend, who was also the niece of the deceased man's partner.

She had to accept the logical conclusion that in a small town such as this, you would inevitably find such close relations, so she could not think that it was a sign of guilt. And she would not have, had it not been for the other current subject of observation, the shrine maiden, acting on her own accord and authority to stop the investigation into her friend.

While it could be exactly as it was written in the reports, Shirogane had no choice but to assume that _everything_ was suspect in one form or another. She watched as the two young women walked across the road, and headed for the local metal-worker.

Shirogane was surprised that the man had an actual, proper forge in his store. Daidara himself was a master of his craft, and the young detective was debating whether or not to actually purchase one of the small trinkets he made by hand. Purely to maintain her cover, of course.

 **Daidara Metalworks**

Midori followed Amane into the heat of the store, pulling off her jacket as she crossed the threshold. "Master," she formally greeted the bandanna wearing old man after Amane had done the same.

"Hello there," Daidara gruffly returned the greeting. "Are you here for you commission?" he turned to Amane.

"I am," she said. "Thank you for your tolerance of my request," another more formal thanks as Midori hung out by the entryway, enjoying the cool air that made it in on occasion.

"It was nothing," Daidara said as he made his way to the back to where he stored Amane's project. "You do a lot for this community, and it's only proper we give back." He returned with a cloth covered object, and a long wooden pole.

Amane bowed as she took the pole from him, and the metalsmith set the cloth-covered object on the counter. He carefully unrolled it, revealing the gleaming steel head of the naginata. "Here you go, one weapon fit for a priestess. Home made, and it will attach to the pole with these cross pieces," he indicated two smaller metal rods which would go through the base of the blade, and into similar holes in the pole itself. "It won't break stone, but that's not what you're looking for, is it?"

"No," Amane said as she set the blade onto the pole and locked it in place. "I am quite out of practice," she admitted as she checked the weight. "And this will do me well."

"Glad to hear it," Daidara said with pride in his work. "You girls let me know if you need anything else."

"We will," Amane dismantled her weapon, then left with Midori in tow. They returned to the temple grounds, where the Fox waited for them at the entrance.

"Visitor," Midori said as she stepped over the local spirit. "I can hold onto that if you want."

"Thank you," Amane said as she handed her new weapon to Midori and went to approach the young man dressed in a blue suit who prayed at the shrine. "I will be right back."

"I'll be waiting!"

Shirogane heard the two enter the shrine, but kept up with her praying. There was no need to act like she was anything other than a young man who was praying to the local deity for favor. Her disguise was well worn, and she had no doubts that she could maintain it even as the priestess approached her, asking if she needed anything.

"No, thank you," Naoto replied. "I was just about done."

"Very well," Amane replied before returning to her friend. The two waited for them to have some privacy before Midori expressed her confusion.

"That's weird," she said as she looked at the young man out of the corner of her eye.

"What is?" Amane trusted that her friend's concerns would be real and not imagined.

"That person," Midori said quietly. "I can't tell if they're male or female."

Amane glared at Midori. "That's it?"

"What?" Midori objected. "I'm used to being able to figure that out! But that person is sending off mixed signals, and it's distracting me!"

"Then ignore them," Amane admonished Midori for that frivolity. "Do you think my weapon will suffice?"

Midori looked down at the heavy weights in her hands. "Should be," she admitted. "I mean, they're not people, just Shadows." She handed the weapon back to Amane. "Where did you learn this in the first place?"

"I was taught as part of my religious education," which was as close as Amane was going to admit to the truth. "It was seen as an appropriate method to develop my body, rather than just sitting, praying and... other things."

"How come I never saw you with one?"

"The situation," Amane looked around to make sure they were not being overheard, "did not call for it. I was in a more public relations position, and by the time I needed to act directly, I had... support."

Midori understood what that meant. "So, you want me to stick around? Watch you practice?"

"That will not be necessary," Amane replied. "Thank you for coming with me."

"Not a problem. Not like it was a long walk, and using the shrine as a meeting point worked out. Give me a call if you need anything."

"Thank you," Amane said as she took back her weapon. "Have we decided on another practice run yet?"

"Not yet," Midori replied. "But if Yu doesn't advance one soon, I will take that decision."

"Very well. Have a good day."

"You too," Midori said, finishing the conversation. "Now to go fill out paperwork."

"Enjoy!"

Midori stepped out onto the street, stretching in the sunlight. There just wasn't enough days without cloud or fog or rain for her taste. Except that she still had things to do. Filling papers and applications wasn't the only thing she had planned for the day, but it was the most tedious. Perhaps she should grab a small table and sit on the back lawn? Fancy Kimono and calligraphy set optional of course.

She walked down the street, headed for the book store. Normally she would just browse there, but today she had a purpose in mind. Opening the door, the ringing bell alerted the manager to her entrance. "Hello!" she greeted him.

"Ah! Midori!" the manager bowed in response to hers. "Thank you for arriving so quickly."

"You called, so I had to." Midori approached the counter and fished out her wallet. "How much?"

"One moment, I need to get them from the back."

"Oh!" Midori put her money away. "I'll just browse for a few minutes then."

"Sure!"

Stepping back, Midori looked around the book shop. Normally she didn't come in here all that often, but it was in the District, so she tried to come in every so often if only to show her support for the business.

Browsing without looking, she ended up flipping through a book of recipes when the manager returned. "Here you go!"

Taking the book she had in hand up to the counter with her, she returned to the counter. "Carl Jung," she read the covers, "Psychology of the Unconscious, Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious and Psychological Types."

"Pretty heavy reading for a high-school student," the manager observed.

Midori put the cook book on top of the three she had ordered in. "Research and stuff," she said with a sigh. "University next year, you know?"

As he was ringing through the purchases, the manager nodded in agreement. "Can't be too prepared for your future."

Wincing slightly at the final tally, Midori handed over enough cash to pay for the books and accepted the bag in return. "Still have to work things out."

"Well, keep working on that," the manager tried to be supportive. "Oh," he leaned over the counter to speak quietly, "Something for your father."

"Oh?" Midori wondered what her daddy would order from the book store.

"Look," the manager said quietly, "your father's work with the town council has borne fruit," he slumped a little as the weight of what he was trying to say caught up with him. "You didn't hear this from me, nor from anyone else in the District, but his idea to become a tourist spot is working. And we're all too proud to be the first to admit it aloud." He sighed. "But you know, so he can know."

Midori looked at him for a moment, not quite sure how to respond to that. Then she defaulted to what you do when someone compliments you. She bowed. "Thank you for your kind words," she said, promising without saying anything to carry those words to her daddy. He could really use the happy thoughts!

 **Tatsuhime Shrine**

Yu crossed the threshold, the local fox looking up at him from its resting spot on a rock in the sun then going back to ignoring him in favor of its nap. He saw the priestess sweeping the pathway, though the stones looked clean to him. "Good afternoon," he greeted her, bowing slightly.

"Hello, Yu-san." She didn't stop sweeping, but did look up at him. "How are you?"

"I am well," he said, looking around. "Did you need any help?"

"Oh?" Amane stopped sweeping for a moment to lean on her broom and examine him. "Why the offer? I get plenty of help already."

"If we're going to be working together," Yu pointed out, "then I would like to get to know everyone. I can't just depend on you being Midori's friend as a connection."

"So, you would want to know me as a person, right?" To Yu, there was something in the way she said that which indicated that there were plenty of wrong answers.

"I think we should all get to know each other," Yu clarified. "You and my cousin are already friends, so I wanted to get to know you as well. I mean, everyone else is already a classmate of mine, or Midori."

Amane decided that she shouldn't be too harsh in dealing with him. He was trying to be helpful, even as she would normally reject such personal advances from nearly anyone else. She valued her privacy, and for some reason, the Fox seemed to approve of him by the way it watched him.

She indicated the board where people hung their wishes. "Sometimes, the gods need a little help getting things done. On the other hand, sometimes the Gods provide the materials and it is up to us to shape what comes of it. Pick one, and help them if you can. With proof that you are a good person, we can move forward."

The Fox looked up at her as Yu walked over the board. She looked down at the Fox. "Don't give me that," she hissed. "You're the one who was looking for help with those!"

When she looked up, Yu was gone.

 **04 May 2011  
** **Komaki Household  
** **Evening**

Yu took off his shoes and picked up Nanako's boots to put them away properly. "Thank you for having us over," he greeted Midori's father who was sitting in a chair in the living room, feet up on the table to support his laptop.

"What's for supper? When's Big Sis gonna be home?" Nanako leaned over Mamoru's legs to get his attention.

"You know it's Wednesday," the older Komaki said, saving his work and closing his computer. "Big Sis Midori is out at work." He turned in his seat to look at Yu. "And welcome. You don't need to be so formal with me."

"Of course," Yu said. "If you don't mind me asking, what is for supper?"

Mamoru stretched his neck to work some of the kinks out of it. "I was thinking of just ordering something in." He reached for the remote to the television, but Nanako snatched it first and turned on the weather channel. "Midori's schedule can be a little erratic."

"What does she do?" He had only been in town a month, and learning her routine was only now becoming important.

"She's a delivery driver for one of the local shops," Mamoru said as he reclaimed the remote, ignoring the look Nanako gave him from his experience with his own daughter, "and that takes up her time. It could be thirty minutes, it could be an hour." After changing the channel, he offered up a token of peace to the little girl. "What do you want for supper?"

"ICE!" Nanako demanded, pleased that she could choose such things.

Mamoru laughed. "Maybe for dessert." He ruffled her hair as he got out of his relined position and stretched some more. "Yu, check the fridge, see if there's any leftovers in there. If not, I might as well order in from Aya."

Yu strolled into the kitchen and checked the fridge. It was smaller than the one in his Uncle's place, but a lot more modern. Like, 21st Century modern. He checked the contents. "Unless you want cold curry?"

"Aya's it is," Mamoru walked over to the phone hanging from the wall while Nanako took the opportunity to change the channel back to her program. "Any requests, or just the usual?"

"The usual," Yu requested. "No need to get fancy."

 **Konishi Liqueurs**

With Saki checking off the inventory on the clipboard, Midori loaded the back of the truck with practiced ease. She kept checking her friend out of the corner of her eyes, hoping for a moment of weakness she could exploit to get to the bottom of what was bothering Saki.

Midori knew that she probably had the right of it with her first guess, but it was vitally important that she keep secret that she was the one who called in the real Tokyo Demons to deal with Saki's so-called boyfriend. She had to play ignorant.

"And a bottle of wine for Nishimura," Saki picked up the single closed bag. "It's their anniversary."

"ooh!" Midori's happy response was not faked at all. "How long have they been married?"

"Forever," Saki said as she and Midori climbed into the cab, the bottle carefully stored between the two seats. "They're, like, 80."

"That's good to hear," Midori approved of such a long lasting loving relationship on principle. "First delivery then?"

Saki refused to look at her, instead leaning away from Midori as she started the truck and pulled out onto the street. "No," she said, looking out the window, "they're on the route."

Turn signal on, Midori eased around the first corner. "Sure."

They made a couple deliveries, and were headed out of town to one of the farm houses that was getting their delivery of beer when Saki finally broke the silence. "I thought I could escape," she said.

"Huh?" Midori was careful to keep her eyes on the road. "Escape?"

"I see her in the television," Saki said in a _sotto voce_ , "That thing with my face."

Midori glared out the front window, guesses and plans already forming. "You thought that you could get away from it by leaving Yasoinaba?"

"I did. And I did," Saki replied. "I slept soundly surrounded by those women who thought to protect me from physical threats."

"And now you're back."

"Yes. And so is she."

Midori wanted so much to offer her support. To reach out and assure her friend that all would be well. But she couldn't. And not just because her hands were on the steering wheel.

"She's there," Saki kept talking in the same voice, "in the corners of the screen, watching. Waiting." She shivered without being aware of it, but Midori was. "I know you're going back in there. Can you save me?"

"Always," Midori promised. "But we don't have to wait."

Saki didn't reply.

"You can come with us. Confront it properly this time. I've learned things that can help put it down for good," she said honestly. "But the catch is, you have to come with us."

 **Hotel Room**

Shirogane closed the laptop, rubbing her eyes against the lack of glare. More information to be gained, but she knew that because of the parties involved, a lot would be hidden from her, especially as she had chosen the path that did not involve calling in favors.

A simple deliberate wrong attribution of a Murder-Suicide led to so much more. The psychological history of Tohru Adachi spoke of a man with baser impulses, but still a respectable trainee. His transfer to Yasoinaba was seen as a means to temper some of his excesses, and great things were expected of him when he returned.

That did not happen.

And yet, so much remained occluded from her sight. What was the meaning behind the rumors of the Midnight Channel that was said to show the murder before it happened? Normally, it would have been written off as retroactive continuity, people seeing patterns in their memory where none occurred in reality, but there was a certain... acceptance of the rumors. When she interviewed people around town, they all accepted the mysterious broadcast as a fact, even though none could explain it.

Then the images of others, and how those projected vanished for a day or two before reappearing with no word of where they had gone.

No, that was not true.

Those who vanished returned with a cover story, and the pillars of that cover was clear. Amane Mochizuki and Midori Komaki.

Picking up the phone, Naoto called her home number. When it was picked up, instructions were given, and the course of the investigation was set. This was not going to be simple, or easy, but the search for the truth would not be abandoned.

 **Komaki Residence**

Midori kicked off her shoes, thinking about what Saki wanted. "I'm home," she said by rote, as she hung her wet jacket up. A light rain had started to come down on her way home, and she hurried to avoid the worst of it. "What do I smell?" She raised her nose a bit, knowing that her dad wasn't good enough to cook that. Perhaps some store-bought meal?

"Big sis!" Nanako dashed out of the living room like a shot, and plowed into Midori. "It was awesome!"

"What was?" Midori knelt down, and Nanako hopped up so she could be carried. "And you have sauce on your nose," she added disapprovingly.

"We ordered in from Aya's", her father told her as she entered the living room, indicating the boxes on the table and a spare plate, bowl and utensils for her. Finding sitting awkward with Nanako attached to her, Midori gently removed her before settling down properly.. "Here," her father said, filling the bowl with rice. "How was your rounds?"

"The usual," Midori replied as she looked around at what was left. "Where's uncle?"

"Daddy had to work," Nanako said sadly before Yu or Mamoru could.

"Pile up of paperwork because someone got sick," her daddy elaborated. "You don't mind?"

"Never!" Midori agreed before picking up some meat. "Oh, Yu?"

"Yes?"

"Those extracurricular activities that you and your classmates were talking about? I have someone who may want to participate."

Yu looked at her, seeing that she was quite obviously talking about Personas and the TV world without letting her father or step-sister know about it. "Ah," he said. "is it important?" Hopefully she caught wind if this was a rescue, or something more preemptive.

"No," she replied, stuffing her mouth some more. "It's just that this person has a tangential issue that needs to be resolved before your thing can move forward."

"Ah," Yu was smart enough to know that this was important, but not vitally so. "We can talk after we've cleaned up."

Midori had her mouth full, so she simply nodded in response.

Soon though, the two of them were in the kitchen, cleaning up while Mamoru and Nanako play-fought over who got control of the television. "Well?" Yu asked quietly.

Midori groaned on the inside. No matter how much she played this over in her head, she couldn't figure out how to break the revelation about Saki to Yu. "The... person," she said, hesitantly choosing her words with extreme care, "There is a person who entered the other place, and left without resolving that issue." There. That was the best way to put it. "And that person now believes that what came of their trip is still following them."

Yu did not react right away, unraveling this revelation through the deductions of himself and the others. They knew, or rather, had concluded that Midori and someone else had entered the Midnight Channel before any of them had, the Channel had shown that quite clearly. "I see," he said, giving her a chance to fill in the necessary blanks herself.

"This person wanted out," she said, and Yu remembered how she had offered the same deal to Amane. "And I was willing to keep it that way. But now things have changed."

Yu took a guess. "You want to bring this person" - no sense in overplaying his hand - "back in to confront it."

"No," Midori said softly. "I don't. They do. They want to... become free. And I want to give her that choice. And mean it."

Yu nodded. "I'll talk to Yosuke and the others. You talk to Amane. We'll meet at the usual spot in Junes on Saturday, 1PM." He made the decision she had no so long ago entrusted him with making. "Please bring that person."

"I will."


	16. 05 May 2011 to 06 May 2011

**05 May 2011  
** **The Velvet Room  
** **Daytime**

Midori slid in and took her seat. Unlike the last time, Igor was present. "Morning," she said, bowing as well as she could in the seat. She was wearing pants rather than her usual skirt thanks to her plans for the day.

"And good morning to you, Miss Midori," Igor said with a smile. "How are you doing?"

"I am well," Midori skirted the truth. "We're going to be making another run on the Television World this weekend, and we're bringing Saki along." For some reason, she found herself far more open to talking with the residents of the Velvet Room than she did with the people she was supposed to be working with. "And yourself?"

"I too am in good spirits," Igor replied. "Although I do not speak for Margaret or Marie."

"hmph," the young girl said, arms and legs crossed as she ignored Midori. The human took that as 'alright'.

"I am doing fine, thank you for your concern," Margaret was far more diplomatic and polite. "However, I doubt that you simply came here for a social call and to keep us appraised of your plans."

"True," Midori replied. "Actually, I was hoping to take Marie shopping."

Now the subject of the conversation, the black-haired girl snapped to attention. "What?"

"Shopping," Midori replied. "You know. Go out. Get things. Pay for them. That sort of stuff."

"I don't need to!"

"You are wearing the same clothes," Midori pointed out. "I was planning on getting you some other things to wear."

Almost self-consciously, Marie looked down. "What's wrong with these?"

Midori had a list. "Nothing," she said with a smile. "But variety, you know? And you're supposed to get out more often and I've talked with Yu about when he's done that."

"Go ahead," Margaret urged Marie. Igor kept his silence. "It will do you good."

"I don't want to go," Marie said.

Margaret smiled. It wasn't pretty.

 **Central Shopping District**

"It's not that cold," Midori chided Marie as the latter rubbed her arms. "It's spring!"

Marie looked around the street. People were only giving her a cursory glance, but that was enough for her to stare at them until they found something more interesting to look at. "It's cold."

"Well, let's grab a snack then, something warm for you." Midori started to walk up the hill, leaving a void behind her that Marie couldn't help but fill, her feet following the path of the human without being told to. She stopped in front of the BBQ place, and looked over the meat that was being cooked. She ordered two beef skewers, and paid for them, handing one to Marie, and taking the other for herself. Midori bit into hers, watching until Marie nibbled on the end of hers before starting to wolf it down.

"Well," Midori went over her plans for the day, "If you're really cold, I think the first thing we should look into getting for you would be a jacket." She looked over Marie, refreshing her memory about sizing. "I know the place."

"Why are you doing this?" Marie asked as she pulled a piece of onion off the wooden stick and examined it before plopping it into her mouth.

"Because I can," Midori said. "Because I know things that make turning away from you a bad option, and I don't like that."

Marie didn't know what to say to that. "What do you know about me?"

"Less than you, probably." Midori looked around for whomever might be listening in. No one seemed close enough to listen and care. "You look human, but aren't. Otherwise Igor wouldn't be taking care of you. I don't know if you're an Angel or Demon, but it's been implied to me that you're not, which means something else. Shadow, maybe? Your name is Marie, though I don't know if you have a family name or not, and that's going to get confusing eventually when I have to deal with the other Mari I know. Your favourite color is blue, you're an introvert – not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just that some people are and some people aren't – but when something does get your attention you go at it with everything you got. You're smart, but don't know how to express it, and you're scared."

Marie felt her face cool, the blood rushing away from it. "What?"

Midori reached out and hugged the younger girl. "And you're my friend."

Marie didn't know how to react to that. Physical contact was not something that her experiences in the Velvet Room prepared her for. She froze up, and after a moment, Midori let her go. "pleasedontdothat" she said quickly before stuffing her mouth with more food and lowering her head to avoid looking at Midori.

"Alright," Midori said, recognizing that she had strayed too far into Marie's personal space. "So, clothing," she bit off the last of her own meat stick before disposing of the stick itself. Marie's followed right after. "The Textiles would be a nice place to start."

"What if I don't want them?" Marie found herself asking.

"We already went over that," Midori replied as she checked traffic, then crossed the road, Marie following. "Even if you don't use them, having them would be useful." She waited for Marie to catch up, then started to walk further up the hill. They reached Tatsumi Textiles and entered. "Kanji-san? Master?" She addressed her underclassman and his mother, calling out as she removed her shoes and slid on the slippers for visitors.

"Midori-chan!" Mrs. Tatsumi greeted her, coming out of the back. "Oh! And who is this?" She looked to Marie, and Marie looked to one side, unwilling to meet her gaze.

"This is Marie," Midori introduced her. "I'm getting some supplies for her."

"Ah!" Mrs. Tatsumi clapped her hands. "Welcome! Welcome! I'll get Kanji to heat up some water."

"Thank you!" Midori bowed, and Marie did the same before realizing that meant that she would be staying for longer than she was comfortable with.

"Hey!" Kanji said as he entered the front room. "Sense...i..." His greeting trailed off when he saw Marie. "Um. I... Hello!" He bowed awkwardly, and Midori repeated her introduction of Marie to the large boy.

"Hello," Kanji bowed to the customer, his fluster at being more casual with Midori slowly evaporating. "Welcome to our store."

"Son, please get some water and tea ready for our guests."

"Yes, mother." Kanji bowed again and headed for the kitchen. Then he stopped and turned around. "Marie? What kind of tea do you like?"

"Uh..." With his question, Kanji watched as Marie's mental processed slammed to a halt. Apparently the shy girl hadn't even considered the question and looked at him with much confusion.

He sighed. "Right, I'll prepare something nice then."

As he left again, Mrs Tatsumi turned her attention to Marie. "So, what are we looking for in you?"

"Something with more weight to it," Midori asked. "As you can see, her wardrobe consists of lighter fabrics and styles."

"Hm Hrm," Mrs Tatsumi seemed to agree. "Ah, now I remember you! You were in the company of that young woman a couple weeks back!"

"Yes," Midori confirmed. "Her name is Margaret, and she's the personal assistant to a... very important person. And due to past encounters, she can entrust Marie into my care on occasion."

"That is very good and reliable of you," the compliment was honest. "So, Marie, what do you like to wear?"

"Blue," she said quietly, not certain again why Margaret and the Nose were so adamant that she leave the safety and comfort of the Velvet Room. And hadn't she already been asked that question? Why bother asking it again?

"Well, I think we might be able to do something with dark greens and browns, don't you think?"

Marie looked up in shock. She had just said blue!

Midori frowned. "I don't know. I don't get earth colored vibes from her. She's definitely at home with lighter colors."

"Hey!" Marie finally found her voice. "What if I like my clothes?"

"You still keep them," Midori reminded her. "We're thinking about more."

"Why can't I have more of this?" Marie tugged at her shirt.

"Because more of the same isn't anything at all." Midori objected sternly. She offered a pained glance to the master of the store, who hid her own reaction well. "Perhaps we should go with a simple blouse and skirt to start with?"

"I think so. Doesn't the Priestess have a similar ensemble using the same colours?"

"Yes, she does. Which is why I was thinking about it."

"Hello?" Marie waved her arms in the air.

"Don't worry, it's a simple base, you can accessorize all you want on it," Midori said plainly. "We just have to work with the base designs first."

"You sound _way_ too much like Margaret." It was supposed to be an insult, but Midori chose instead to take it as a compliment.

"Thank you!" She bowed a little for emphasis. "I strive to be as elegant and proper as possible!"

With her attempt to gain some space failing, Marie resigned herself to simply waiting them out, thinking about how she could express her feelings later.

Kanji returned with a kettle of tea and three cups. His mother and the Vice-President were chatting about designs, and while he would normally participate, the presence of someone not in on his secret hobby kept him from doing so. "Here ya go," he said, laying out the drinks for everyone.

The new girl looked at him with some wariness, which was a comforting norm for him. "Hey," he said. "I'm Kanji. You're Marie, right?"

"Yes," she said, checking to see that the two of them were being ignored. "Is she always like this?"

"Who? Midori-sempai? Yeah, she can be a bit of a driver when she wants to be." He passed her a cup filled with warm tea. "Just roll with it, you know? She doesn't mean any harm, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't even know she's doing it half the time."

Marie didn't respond right away. She was enjoying the tea. "Why can't she let me be me?"

Kanji made sure that the attention of he elders were not on them. "She's not the sort of person to let others fail," he commented quietly. "If she thinks you can do better, be better? She'll stop at nothing to get you to it."

Marie didn't know what to make of that. Again.

"Oh!" Midori said, snapping her fingers. "We need your measurements!"

"My what?" Marie objected, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.

Midori pulled out a measuring tape. "Oh, relax. Need to know so I know how much fabric is needed. Stand up!"

"But!" Marie looked to Kanji for help, given that he wasn't trying to force her into anything, but he had vanished somewhere. "Nooooooooo!"

"Oh don't be such a cry-baby," Midori approached her, a gleam in her eye and a darkness around her. "This won't hurt."

"I never want to go in there again!" Marie objected loudly as Midori finished closing the door behind them. She didn't care if they heard her, she refused to be a part of such a thing ever again!

"Oh, don't be so childish!" Midori said sternly, her hands balled into fists and pressed against her hips as she leaned forward. "You are to learn, and that means the good and the bad, and the things that don't make sense until it is all complete!"

"Uh... what?" Chie interrupted from behind Marie.

Marie, shocked at the sudden presence, jumped and spun. "itwasnothingyoudonthavetobehere!"

Midori relaxed. "Chie. Yukiko," she added for the other Persona user who had been silent so far. "This is Marie. She's someone I know and Yu and I have been asked to take care of her while she's in town."

"Oh!" Yukiko recognized the name. "Yu has mentioned her. He didn't say you were as fashionable as you are!"

"Oh?" Marie focused on the compliment. "I think what I'm wearing is totally awesome, and completely great for me, but _she_ ," Marie addressed Midori's presence with a certain level of sarcasm, "thinks it's not good enough."

"I'm right here," Midori reminded her, but did nothing else to deter her from speaking.

"What?" Chie jumped in and gave Marie a comforting hug. "Midori-sensei can be soooo~oo mean!"

"I don't know," Yukiko objected, "if she does something, it must have a reason."

"Rain," Midori said, explaining in as simple a term as possible. "You see how thin her shirt is?"

Chie pulled back. "Well, that's what jackets and umbrellas are for!" She turned back to Marie. "Well, if she's being mean to you, I have do something about that."

Midori would have loved to see Chie try.

"So, Marie-chan, where are you from anyways?" Yukiko asked. "Tokyo?"

"Ah..." Marie seemed at a loss for how to respond to that, so Midori came to her rescue.

"Tatsumi Port Island," she explained. "That's where I first met her and her guardian," she lied just a bit, but it would make some amount of sense. "It's one of those things I don't talk about," she added to make sure that the other girls knew that it was also a sensitive subject.

Chie, naturally, was first to grasp the implications. "Wait! That means she-"

"No!" Midori interjected with a bit more force than she intended. "No, she's not."

"Oh," Yukiko said, covering her mouth. "I'm sorry!"

"For what?" Marie turned to glare at Midori, but the gesture was ignored. "It's no problem."

"Oh, good!" Chie said, finally releasing her hold on Marie. "Are you staying long?"

Midori kept silent, forcing Marie into the position of making that decision. "Probably not. Margaret will be expecting me."

"Oh," Chie sounded dissapointed. "Hey! Do you play Tennis?"

"What?"

"If you did, there's this competition in the summer I've signed up for, and if you can come to that..?"

"Chie!" Yukiko objected. "Don't be so pushy!"

"I'm not!" Chie objected. "Well, maybe I am. Sorry." She bowed, and Marie accepted it gracefully. "Hey, look, next time you're in town, why don't you come by? If Midori approves."

She didn't mind. "I don't see why not. Meeting more people is important. And you," she said to Chie, "may have signed those forms, but I don't have them in my hand."

"You did say by tomorrow," Chie pointed out. "So I can give them to you before school, and I'll be good."

She was right, and Midori nodded. "Very well."

The conversation turned to more casual things, like the weather, before Chie and Yukiko had to go about their own business. Midori then looked at her watch. "I suppose we should be headed back ourselves."

Marie looked sad. "But I wanted to talk with them more."

"Next time," Midori promised.

Amane watched from the safety of her shrine as Midori walked with the unusual person back to where the door to the Velvet Room was. When Yu had showed it to her, she knew _something_ was there, but could not place it in anything more than a certain vagueness. And the Fox wasn't helpful either in that regard.

Except that Midori could see it, that she had permission and an invitation. Which was, in a way, a more telling approval of the nature of the people who resided in that place than any words. The younger woman would not stoop to cooperating with any force that sought to dictate the future of humanity.

They entered that place, which was still an odd thing to watch. One moment, they were there, the next they were not. And yet she knew that they had simply stepped through a door, and the transition was natural, not jarring.

She looked down at the Fox. The Fox looked up at her. "Most curious. I wonder what that person is."

The Fox laughed. She glared down at it. "Don't you start!"

Because of that, she didn't notice Midori return from the Velvet room, but did see her start to walk away. "Midori!" she called out, clear enough to be heard across the road.

Seeing her, Midori waved and quickly came over. "Yes?"

"I have a question."

"Shoot!"

"Who was that?" Amane said, nodding at the location of the Velvet Room.

"Who? Marie? She's... well, I'm not certain _what_ she is, but Yu and I have been asked to look after her, and to show her our little slice of the world."

"So, she is a part of that place?" Amane then realized something. "And her name is Marie?"

"Yes, and yes." Midori answered, then read the thought that led to the second question. "They are spelled differently. And hers is more English than Japanese."

"Ah," Amane said without answer. "I do not believe it would be a breach of your word if you told me more about those who resided in that place."

Midori considered that. "I think you're right, but not right now. I have things I promised to do. You know. My life does not revolve around _that_ sort of thing."

"It can be hard to let go," Amane admitted. "You're lucky in that regard. I still worry about demons."

Midori sympathized. "Look, we can talk later. But I still need to get home."

"I will give you a call."

"Or we can talk while the others... practice." Midori remembered what she had talked about with Yu. "Um, listen, we may be taking someone in this weekend. I would appreciate it if you didn't raise a fuss."

Aname frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Just... trust me? Please? Everything will make sense, but I want to make sure that it doesn't go bad when I can make things better."

Curious, and just a little bit annoyed, Amane could only agree. "Very well. But I will expect a full reckoning for your choices later."

 **06 May 2011  
** **Yasogami High School  
** **Lunchtime**

Midori took her lunch in the Student Council room as she processed the signups for the summer tournament. True to her word, Chie had delivered hers in the morning. With bread in her mouth, she typed in the relevant information for everyone into the on-line system using the laptop. Naturally, she was first as Captain, then she worked her way down the sheets.

By the time she was done, and had confirmed everyone, she had finished her bread, and was working on the stir-fry. Deciding not to head back to her class for the rest of the lunch break, she leaned back in her chair to try and relax. Between Saki, Amane, the Television World, Marie, her home life, school and everything else, she hadn't really had a chance to just be herself in a while.

Naturally, her chance went out the door when the door beside her slid open. She didn't react as the only person who would do that without knocking first was Dan, and only when he was by himself. "Hello," she said without sitting up.

"Good afternoon," Dan said as he closed the door behind him. "Have you finished the paperwork for your club yet?"

Midori tapped the small stack. "Yep. Now I just have to set up a training schedule for them, arrange for transportation and where to stay, and make sure I don't go over budget."

"Well, between this year and last, your club has come in under budget. I know you'll keep it that way," Dan complimented her as he took a seat for himself and produced his own lunch.

"Kinda late to be starting that, isn't it?" she asked.

"Well, I eat light, you know. And I was busy with some other things."

"Anything I need to help with?"

"No, nothing formal. Just some people doing pop quizzes with me."

"I would ask if they passed, but I know you," Midori said with a smile as she finished off the last of her lunch. "I hope you didn't make it too hard."

"Just a couple really hard ones. All that can be solved by studying in the library." If anything, the Quiz King's quizzes were good to get people learning more. Not that Midori had ever challenged him. It was his turf, just as people skills were hers.

"Good to hear," she said. "I just hope Satonaka-san can actually cut it in the club. Morooka-sensei has put a lot of faith in me."

"She does need to focus on something," Dan agreed, remembering her ill-fated cooperation with the Student Council the year previous. "Getting Amagi-san into the club will only encourage her good behavior."

"I wish I could take credit for that," Midori sighed. "But it just sorta happened."

"Sometimes things just work themselves out," Dan tried to sound wise, but it didn't quite work out. "Maybe this is a case of her simply becoming more mature and responsible?"

Midori sent him a glance that spoke volumes about how much she didn't believe that in the slightest.

"So, what are you doing this weekend?" Dan asked.

Midori sputtered. "What?"

"Are you doing anything this weekend?" He asked again. "I was planning on taking the bus over to the next town and checking out some of the bookstores there, and I know you have your license, so would you mind driving me instead?"

Midoir's brain faulted. She felt her cheeks flush as the thought of the two of them made its way into places she wasn't sure she was ready for. "I'm busy tomorrow!" she blurted out, turning to look away from him. "But maybe Sunday?"

"I can do that," Dan said as he too refused to look at her. "And getting out of town will be a nice change of pace."

"Umm..." Midori stood up and gathered her stuff quickly. "Call me in the evening, so we can arrange a time." Everything scooped up into her arms, she made haste to leave the room before she did something she would regret. "Bye!"

 **Komaki Household  
** **Evening** **  
**

"Hello, Daddy!" Midori greeted her father as he came home. She was working on homework while her supper sat beside it. Pencil in one hand, chopsticks in the other. "How was your trip?"

"Tiring," he admitted as he set his jacket and briefcase down on the floor before heading to the kitchen to collect his own food. "How is school?"

"Nice," Midori replied. "Got stuff done today with the Club, have things to do tomorrow."

"Ah," he replied, not really listening. If she wasn't complaining, he could take his time with her. "Any responses back from Universities yet?"

"Nope," she noted. "Can't start expecting those until the first semester is over and I get my grades back."

"Well, if you want, I can talk to the people at my school, see if they can accept the child of an alumni," Mamoru offered, knowing that it probably wouldn't be needed, and economics wasn't something his daughter was interested in.

"No thanks," she said without looking up from her studies.

"Well, if you change your mind, I'll gladly help."

"I'm sure you've offered before." She set down her pencil, then snapped her head up. "Oh! I may need to borrow the car on Sunday!"

"Why?"

"Saving Dan bus fare while he goes to do something."

Mamoru perked up at that. She was being casual about it, but without seeing her face it could just be an honest case of giving a ride to a fellow student. On the other hand...

No, he stopped himself. She has to live her own life. He can't interfere like that. "Sure," he said. "Just remember to refill the gas when you're done."

"What if I drive it in electric all the way?"

"Then plug it in." He returned to the living room. "So, what's on tonight?"

"Gojira marathon, starting with the first one."

"Ah, nice."


	17. 07 May 2011

**07 May 2011  
** **Junes Department Store  
** **Daytime**

"You sure you have the day off?" Midori asked as she adjusted her clothes. She was not going to enforce the whole 'school uniform 24/7' thing SEES had going on, so she had switched over to her loose gym sweatpants and hoodie.

"Yeah," Saki said as she crossed her arms. "You sure about this?"

"Well, hiding your eyes behind sunglasses isn't going to make them not know who you are." Midori finished sliding her weapon into place, careful to not reveal the Evoker in the process.

"If it wasn't for Hanamura, I wouldn't be so worried." Saki said as she pulled the glasses off and stuffed them into a pocket.

"Because he works here?"

"Because he's the boss' son," she pointed out. "And he looks at me, like he's got a crush on me." She shivered.

Midori filed that away for later. "Don't worry. He does something wrong, I'll put him in his place." She finished tying off her hair so it wouldn't get in the way. "You ready?"

"No?"

"Too bad."

 **Electronics Department**

Naoto watched carefully as the subject of her surveillance and her friend strolled into the television section. While normally she would have written this off as normal shopping, and perhaps getting an employee discount, the nervousness displayed by Saki Koinishi was unusual.

Adding to that, Midori Komaki changed clothes in the washroom. While completely innocent by itself, what set off the detective's personal alarm was that it was obvious to her that she had hidden objects under her jacket, which included a long object in the small of her back, and an awkwardly placed shoulder harness.

If Naoto had to guess, Komaki was wearing a male-fitted harness, which didn't have the right give across her chest. And was holding something in it.

Naoto recognized that her uncle was a police detective, but that didn't mean that a High School senior should go around hiding a weapon like that. Her own pistol had to be well documented, and tests taken with regularity to keep it.

Following the two was easy, as they seemed to be following the more subtle "act like nothing is wrong, and we will be ignored" method of stealth, rather than taking more active countermeasures. It was... sloppy. Unprofessional even. But then again, they were civilians. There was no way they were formally trained in such techniques.

The two of them stopped in front of the televisions and looked around. Naoto was just of of sight, using the irregular shape of certain retail products to hide from view.

Saki seemed hesitant, and looked at the television. She said something to Midori, but Naoto was too far away to hear, and the use of eavesdropping equipment would cause more problems than it would solve. Komaki was very supportive, then put her hand into the television.

Naoto froze at that. It was impossible, but right in front of her. The surface of the screen rippled like water as Komaki pulled her hand out, then slowly put it back in.

 _That wasn't possible._

Under Komaki's gentle urging, Koinishi stepped into the television, and vanished from sight. Komaki followed a couple moments later, leaving the department as empty as it was before.

And Naoto just stood there, shocked.

 **The Foggy Stage**

Midori landed, legs bending as she fell the last few feet. "Saki?"

"Here," her friend replied.

"Midori-sensei," Yu said from the other side of the stage. It looked to her like he had just come out of the Velvet room. "We're all here."

Looking around, Midori confirmed the presence of Teddie, Amane, Chie, Yukiko and Yosuke. "Thank you all for this," she said.

"Hey! No problem!" Yosuke said, obviously pleased at the idea of helping out Saki. In turn, the older girl tried to stay away from him, hovering closer to Midori.

"Chie, could you please keep Yosuke on a leash?" Midori asked. "Saki has enough problems as it is."

"Right!" Chie agreed far too eagerly. She hopped back and forth. "Ass kicking ready!"

"Hey!" Yosuke objected.

"Hello again!" Teddie said, waddling over. "How are you?"

Saki moved to keep Midori between her and Teddie. "You trust it?"

"It? I am no IT!" Teddie objected. "I am Teddie!"

"Teddie is our local guide," Midori explained. "I'm sorry," she said to him. "Saki is very nervous about all this."

"Awww..." Teddie looked downcast. "I even made glasses for her."

"Saki," Midori reached behind her to put a hand on the nervous girl, "the glasses will let us see through the fog. We all have them, and you should too. Teddie is actually very nice, and completely harmless."

"I am!" the bear agreed. "Completely awesome!" He reached behind his back and produced a pair of thin-rimmed glasses with a slight red tint to them. "Here! Try these on!"

"Do it," Midori encouraged Saki.

Hesitantly, she reached past Midori and snatched the glasses from the bear. She looked through the lenses first, then slid them over her face. "The fog..."

"Yep, Teddie can make special fog-ignoring glasses." Yosuke said with a smile, which earned him a growl from Chie. "What?"

"Be nice," she warned him. "Can't you see she's scared?"

"Why aren't you?" Saki asked as she looked around the stage now that she could see clearer. "This is all wrong!"

"We are scared," Yu said firmly. "But we can overcome our fear."

"Easy for you to say." Saki muttered.

Ignoring that, Yu looked over everyone present. "Now that we're all here, this is how I want things to go. Teddie will lead us to where he last detected Saki's Shadow. When we get there, Midori-sensei will protect Saki directly while the rest of us search for it. Once encountered, we will deal with it properly."

"Understood," Yukiko said, bowing slightly. "I brought snacks this time!" she added cheerfully, showing off the basket in her hands. "My treat!"

"Uh..." Chie stepped back, pushing Yosuke clear of the danger zone. "Where were you hiding that? And did you cook it yourself?"

"Oh, I hid it behind my back," Yukiko said, "and of course it's my special cooking!"

"We can deal with that later," Yu interjected before the problem could get out of hand.

"Hello," Amane took the opportunity to greet Saki. "Thank you for coming to us in this regard," she pulled out the best 'calm and caring' voice she could when addressing Midori's classmate.

"Thank you for helping," Saki said as Teddie took the lead and walked off the stage. Everyone started to follow, with Midori, Saki and Amane taking up the rear.

"Now, remember," Midori said, "We're just here to deal with your Shadow. After that, we can go home. Nothing else needs to matter," she added, hoping that the others caught her drift.

At least Saki did. "I understand," she said, head down.

As they walked, the lead quartet found their own conversational topic.

"I knew it!" Chie said. "It was her!"

"Yeah," Yosuke agreed. "Saki-san in this place." He shook his head. "Man, I'm glad Midori-sensei was there to help her, who knows what would have happened."

"I agree," Yukiko said. "This place was quite frightening before I got to see. I cannot imagine what it would be like if it was just yourself."

"But she wasn't alone," Yu pointed out.

"And how did they get in here in the first place?" Yosuke asked. "Did they fall in through the store?"

"Teddie," Yu called out. "How far are we going?"

"A bit more!" the eager bear called back. "The smell is getting stronger."

"Then I doubt it was through Junes," Yu explained as he turned back to his classmates. "Somewhere else."

"Maybe her home?" Yukiko suggested.

"Maybe."

"We could just ask, you know?" Chie offered. "I mean, she's right there, right?"

"But we promised we wouldn't pry," Yukiko challenged. "It wouldn't be right."

"Well, we could ask her again after she gets her Persona." Yosuke pointed out. "I mean, she'll have less reason to hide things from us, right?"

"Perhaps," Yu considered. "But we'll have to wait until later to ask." He considered holding back something that was bothering him, but it seemed equally wrong to do so. "When I was in the Velvet Room, Margaret told me to consider that the truth can be right in front of you, but we do not have the means to see it. I'm wondering if this is the case."

"First – you really need to tell us more about this 'Velvet Room' that you and Midori-sensei have access to," Yosuke said. "Second – what the hell does that mean?"

"It means we can't just look for the obvious!" Chie snapped.

"I know that!" Yosuke retorted. "What I meant was that I mean if we're asking ourselves what is going on, what are we missing?"

That led to a round of silence.

"So, about the Velvet Room?" Yukiko changed the subject when it became apparent to her that there were no answers forthcoming. "What are they like?"

"Well," Yu thought about that. "Igor is the person in charge. He has this huge pointed nose, but he knows his stuff. He works with me with my Wild Card skill, but I don't know how to describe it. Margaret is his assistant. She handles records of things, and gives advice. Very formally dressed. There's also Marie, who seems to be another guest. She's a lot more casual than the others, and I don't know what she does. I've been asked to be her escort on occasion when she leaves the Velvet Room."

"Wait, Marie? Pale, black hair, huge purse, striped stockings, colors in white and blue?" Chie exclaimed, eyes opened.

"Uh... yeah?" Yu wondered why.

" _We met her!_ " Chie pointed out. "Yukiko and me! She was in the Central Shopping District and Midori-sensei was with her. She said she was a normal person from down south!"

"What?" Yosuke expressed his confusion. "If that's true, why would she lie like that?"

"I don't know," Chie vowed. "But I intend to find out."

"You plan on asking her right now?" Yu wondered.

"Why not?"

"Because she put me in charge, and I am also helping Marie out, so I should be the one to talk to her over this," Yu took on the responsibility.

Chie looked back, then at Yu. "Fine. But I want to know what she has to say for herself."

"I'm certain she has her reasons," Yukiko tried to cool her friend down.

"That doesn't excuse lying!"

"We're here!" Teddie announced, having ignored the whole conversation so far. "My nose knows!"

The front group stopped, and the second arrived a couple moments later. "I don't want to be here," Saki said, trying to seem as small as she could.

"We can't leave yet," Midori countered. "We need you."

"I don't want to be bait."

"You're not," Amane added to the efforts to help Saki. "We are here to help."

"Dude," Yosuke finally found the words. "This is the Shopping District."

"Yes," Midori said, not quite snapping at him for stating the obvious. "Come on, the Shrine grounds are safe. At least, they were when we were here last."

Taking her suggestion, the group entered the TV world's interpretation of the Shrine. Amane was the first to react with a hiss. "This place is offensive!" She looked around with obvious disgust. "I don't know what this place thinks it is, but this... this..!"

"It's a stage," Chie said. "It's not supposed to be real." She glanced at Midori, hoping for confirmation. "Does she get this angry at fake shrines on television?"

Midori herself was confused at Amane's uncharacteristic vehemence. "I don't know. I don't even know if she has a television..."

"So it's all fake! No need to get worked up over it!" Chie shifted back to Amane. "I mean, it's not like you're going to be holding ceremonies here, right?"

"You are right," Amane admitted after a moment. "I should not have reacted like that. I apologize. I have worked hard on the Shrine to improve it, and to see it portrayed like this... It felt like a personal attack."

"Forgiven," Yukiko said. "I too would feel put out if someone made a mockery of the Inn."

"So, where do we go from here?" Yosuke put out, hoping to move beyond the annoyed Priestess. "I don't see an entrance to anywhere."

"Home," Saki said quietly. "That's where it started."

Midori took a deep breath to still her own shaking hands. It hadn't been that long, but enough had happened since then that she had done a good job of putting her fight against Adachi away. All they had to do was pass through that place and make sure no one noticed.

And if Saki hadn't told anyone the truth yet, she told herself, she wouldn't now.

"If it's alright with you," Yu said to her, ignorant of her thoughts, "I would like to keep the four of us as the active group, with you and Amane in reserve."

"I will allow it," Midori replied, shifting back to 'leader' mode. "But consider rotating in Amane before me."

"Of course." Yu accepted that with a slight bow. "Teddie, can you lead us closer?"

"Of course!" Teddie said with a flourish. "Come on!"

Putting a hand on Saki's shoulders, Midori made sure her reluctant friend stayed with them as Teddie led everyone further up into the fake district and to the version of her family store at the end.

"Whoa," Yosuke said as he took in the hideous front end of the store. "Why is everything so over the top and huge?"

"Perhaps it's because this place is meant to be wrong?" Yu suggested. "The Shrine, this place, everything."

"HEY!" Teddie spun on Yu. "Are you saying my home is wrong?"

"No! No!" Yu held up his hands to placate the bear. "You're not! It's just that the placed created by us humans are wrong!"

"Oh! You're saying I'm right then?" Teddie puffed up in pride.

Rather than risk anything, Yu relaxed. "Yes, that's correct."

"Excellent! You should be beary grateful for my greatness!"

"Right," Chie and Yosuke said at the same time, in the exact same tone of voice.

"Can we just get this over with?" Saki asked, hoping that reality would return to her sooner, rather than later. "Please?"

"She's right," Midori agreed, nodding at the door with the faint red shimmer to it. "The sooner, the better."

 **Home**

The red entryway seemed to stretch forever, but it was just an illusion cast by the way it looked. As soon as they returned to the parody of reality, the large group paused. "It's normal," Yosuke said, looking around the front room of the Liqueur store.

"No, it's wrong," Saki said.

"I agree," Midori swept her eyes around, picking out many wrong details thanks to her weekly work in the shop. "There, the back door."

"Careful!" Teddie warned them as he took his place of safety with Midori, Amane and Saki. "I smell Shadows!"

"Don't worry," Midori said as she escorted Saki behind Yu and his team. "Shadows aren't a problem. Sure, they're dangerous, but we can handle them."

"You sure?"

Midori smirked. "Of course!"

The back entrance to the front of the shop led to a long and dark corridor. "Does anyone have a light?" Chie asked, even as her eyes adapted to the dark.

Saki stepped in with her escorts, and the lights overhead turned on.

"I don't think that was a coincidence," Yosuke deadpanned.

"Maybe," Yu wasn't about to commit to anything without further evidence. "We should be careful. If this place turns into a maze, we could be attacked from behind as well."

Midori and Amane looked behind them, but the only thing behind them was the front of the store. "If we are," Amane said, "then we shall hold the line for you."

"Yosuke," Yu turned to his friend. "If that happens, I want you to join me helping them. Chie, Yukiko, you protect Saki and Teddie."

"Right!" "Understood."

With that plan accepted by all, Yu and his team advanced to the edge of the light, whereupon Midori prodded Saki into moving. As she advanced, the lights behind the group faded away, and brightened in front of them.

"It's official. We're in a horror movie," Yosuke lamented.

"Oooh! I wonder if there are ghost-shadows!" Yukiko seemed pleased by the prospect.

"Ah... not that I remember," Midori searched her memory, but couldn't recall anything that matched the appearance of a 'ghost'. "Not to say that it's impossible though."

Chie shook her head. "You just had to say that, didn't you?"

"Eyes forward," Yu warned. "I see something ahead."

"Wait..." Yukiko asked as she leaned forward. "Is that... made of _Gold_?"

"No one move!" Midori hissed, freezing still. "Golden Shadow?"

"Yes?" Yu replied.

"Golden Hand," Midori smiled. "Very valuable. But very hard to catch."

"How valuable?" Chie asked.

"Gold," Midori repeated.

"So, how do we catch it?" Yu had his eyes on the drifting shadow.

"Well, it's faster than us," Midori hadn't hunted one of these in ages, "and if it gets cornered, it can run through the wall to get away." She thought about the best way for the people here to do it, lamenting the lack of someone with a ranged weapon, like a bow or a gun to stun it long enough to surround it. "Best bet at this point is to try and sneak up on it while it isn't looking at us. If we're quiet enough... maybe."

Yu looked thoughtful. "Do you want to help?"

Midori shook her head. "No, trust me, there is no way you could do worse than my first time."

"What did you do?" Amane whispered.

Blushing in embarrassment, Midori turned away. "I... uh... wasn't subtle. At all. And the team leader gave me a very stern talking-to after that."

"You? Not subtle? What a surprise." Chie said flatly. "So, approach quietly while it's not looking?"

"And if it sees you and runs, don't go running after it." Midori reaffirmed.

"Why not?"

Everyone responded by pointing up at the lights. "Oh," Chie realized. "Yeah, running into the dark isn't the best idea, is it?"

"No, it's not." Yukiko confirmed. "So, how shall we sneak up on it?"

"Well, I don't do sneaky!" Teddie announced, "I'm a bear!"

"SHHHH!" Several people hushed the bear.

"Midori-sensei, how common are these things?" Yu asked.

"Rare," Midori said. "But not so much that we'll never see one again."

"Good, because it's wandering away."

"After it!" Yosuke hissed. "Come on!"

The four second-years started to follow the Golden Shadow, hugging the walls while the other four took up a safe distance back, trying to keep the humans inside the distance of the lights.

"Is this normal?" Saki whispered as the lights behind them closed down and the lights ahead turned on. The Shadow they were in pursuit of did not seem to notice.

"The Golden Shadow?" Midori said carefully. "Takes patience, and I fully expect it to get away. Normal Shadows? No, they are more hostile, and we would have fought it already."

"What about _her_?"

"That's a Shadow too," Midori admitted. "And I was wrong in getting you to run from it. This place has different rules from what I'm used to, so I made a bad call."

"It's getting away!" Chie cried out as the Golden Shadow turned and saw the party of four.

"Let it go!" Yu and Midori commanded at the same time. They looked at each other, and Midori relented. "Don't go chasing it into the dark," Yu finished.

Looking disappointed, Chie relented. "You said there's more, right?" she asked Midori.

"Yes, there will be."

"Good!"

"In that case, we take a breather," Yu said. "We don't have to run after the Shadows, most of them come to us."

"Why do they run?" Amane asked of Midori.

She shrugged. "The Golden ones always will. We had a bow user last time who could stun them long enough to catch them. As we grow more experienced, weaker Shadows will also flee from us, but not as fast."

"Curious," Amane noted to herself. She started to pull out the sections of her naginata, screwing them together until it was complete. She then started to use the weapon as a walking stick as Yu called the break over, and to begin exploring again.

"Another chest?" Yosuke asked as they checked the room they were in. "Let's see what's in it this time." Without further ado, he opened the box, and extracted the object within. "Wait. Is this money?"

Everyone except Midori and Saki crowded around to check, Midori because she already knew that it was real money, and Saki because she didn't care.

"What else will we find in these things?" Yukiko asked.

As expected, Midori gave the answer. "Magical healing potions to restore our body and mind, though the latter are far more rare. Money. Things we can use as weapons or armor – our presence actually affects what we find. And on occasion, Shadows will hide inside a treasure chest."

"Gods, we really are in an RPG," Yosuke said, his face draining of blood.

"It is a measure of how we interpret this place," Amane said. "If we believe that it is hostile, it creates Shadows, but on the other side, our desire for support creates these boons for us."

"Very poetic," Yukiko said.

"Not really," Amane replied. "I am simply making observations, and drawing conclusions from them."

"That's nice and all," Chie said from the entrance to the room. "But there's another Shadow coming our way."

"Form up," Yu nodded. "If we can, we attack from its back or side. Or from the front of there's no other option.

"Right!"

The battle against the Basalts that appeared started out poorly before Teddie pointed out that they needed to use magic on them to bypass the resistance they had to physical strikes. At that point, Yukiko cleaned them out with a wave of quick-casting from her Persona. "Whew! I almost broke a sweat there."

"Nice going, Yukiko!" Chie cheered as Yu and Yosuke collected the spoils of the battle.

"Thank you."

When they found the stairs leading down further, they descended carefully, the light shining on Saki keeping the whole thing lit even when the floor behind and the floor ahead were shrouded in darkness.

At the bottom of the stairs was an open room, which Midori recognized as a perversion of the living room from Saki's home. "Careful," Teddie warned, "I smell something."

"Get out of here!" Saki cringed at the voice, causing Midori to stand in front of her, even as the others got ready to challenge the Shadow. But it didn't come. It just yelled, to be heard where they were. "You keep making things worse! Why can't you leave me alone?"

"We're here to help! Yosuke called out. "Come on out, so we can talk!"

"Oh, like you're one to talk," Saki's Shadow said from nowhere. "Always sticking your nose into my life. What, being the Manager's son wasn't good enough for you?"

Yosuke winced, but stood his ground. "Is it wrong to take an interest in the people working with you?"

But there was no response. "I think she's gone," Yu said. "Come on, we'll find her."

"Yeah," Yosuke agreed. "This is getting annoying."

"Hrm," Yu thought about that. "Yukiko? Why don't you switch out with Amane? Recover some of your strength for now."

"Of course."

"Hey, I can switch out for Midori-sensei," Chie offered.

Thinking about it, Yu nodded. "Take care."

"Thanks!" Chie said as she hopped away from the fighting team and tagged out with Midori. As they passed, the blue-haired elder leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Don't try to push Saki, but don't let her stop us from moving forward."

Chie nodded, recognizing that for all their differences, Midori was willing to trust her with her friend. She wasn't about to make a mess of that, not when success was so much more rewarding.

"You fit to fight?" Midori asked Amane as she rolled her shoulders.

"I will improve," the priestess said. "What about you?"

With a thought, Frosty stood before her. "I think I'm awesome. Correction. I know I am."

"Do not let your ego get in the way," Amane warned her as the four started to advance out of the room and into the twisting corridors ahead.

"My _ego_ ," Midori responded, "is where Frosty comes from. Not my Id, or Super-Ego."

Amane countered with a blank look.

For combat, party dynamics changed depending on who was involved. Yu admitted to himself again that Midori's choice of him being the team leader in that regard was a practical one, even as she maintained control over many other aspects of the group.

But where having his classmates involved meant that they worked together well, due to simply carrying over the dynamics of their interactions in school, things were different with the two older women.

Midori, he acknowledged, didn't know the meaning of 'restraint'. She, and by extension, her Persona were all about the attack, and always having some method to it. But she wasn't _stupid_. If something wasn't working, she would switch to something else, looking for the weak points to exploit for all their worth. Her experience showed.

On the other side, Amane-san was slower, more methodical. While her weapon allowed her to fight with some skill, her Persona didn't harm directly, but did reduce what the enemy could do in order to make them less effective.

When the two worked together, Amane-san would set them up, and Midori would knock them down. In the larger group, Yosuke and himself found themselves more often than not following them up by exploiting openings, or making sure that Midori was recovered to launch another offensive.

Between battles, he started to mix up the combatants, to try and figure out how they would work together. Some were obvious. Himself, Midori, Chie and Yukiko would have the three girls attack while he stayed behind and supported. Yosuke, Yukiko and Amane would be about strengthening themselves and weakening the enemy before moving in for the finish.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Yosuke comparing their situation to a role playing game was accurate. But, he reminded himself, this was real life. Save points and guidebooks don't exist.

The stairs down to the third floor lit up in front of Saki. She paused, then pulled back her foot. "I don't want to. It's scary. I want to go back!"

"Saki," Midori said, trying to calm her down. "It's alright! I promise! We're all here for you."

"We don't have to be here!" Saki exclaimed, her nerves frayed by everything she had seen. "This isn't right!"

"No!" Midori objected. "We can't give up!"

"Yes! We can! I can! Leave me alone!"

"NO!" Midori raised her voice to a yell, her face taking on an expression of anger. "We are not giving up! Not ever!"

Amane reached out to put a hand on Midori's shoulder. "Slow down," she said. "We do not need to do this all in one go. We can return to our world, recover, and return again. One single push through to the end – when we do not know where the end is, or how long it will take to get there - is folly."

Midori paused, not moving from staring at Saki, who had turned her head away, unable to face the sheer power and determination coming off her younger classmate. "Leave me alone."

"That's what the Shadow is saying," Midori said without a trace of warmth. "Are you going to let it dictate your life?"

"Well it's not wrong!" Saki snarled back, regaining some strength in the face of the accusation. "None of this would have happened if you hadn't gotten involved!"

Midori stepped back, the verbal slap almost physical. "If I hadn't, you'd be dead. Do you want that?"

"I don't know!" Saki yelled back. "Why don't you leave me alone so I can find out!"

"I think a time out is a good thing," Yu spoke up, playing peace maker. "We all go home, calm down, then return when we're not as high strung."

"Yes," Amane agreed, focusing on Midori. "We will do that."

 **Komaki Residence  
** **Evening** **  
**

Midori let the door thud close behind her as she kicked off her shoes. "Midori?" her daddy called out from upstairs. "Is that you?"

"Yes, daddy!" She tried to keep her voice under control, but a bit of her anger seeped out. "I just had a bad day."

"You want to talk about it?"

"No, daddy." This had nothing to do with her father, and the less he knew, the better.

"Alright," he said, his voice leaving his office. "Now that you're home, I'm going to pick up Ryo and we're going to head down to the bar."

"Don't get too drunk," Midori gave her usual response to the fairly regular Saturday-night excursion between her father and her uncle. It was only on occasion that she had to take a forceful approach to their antics.

"And you go to bed early. Dan called earlier to check the time you pick him up." If Mamoru had any issues with his daughter being alone for the day with a boy in her grade, driving to another town, he didn't show it. "He'll be here at 11 in the morning."

"Thanks daddy," she said as she looked through the fridge for something to eat, before deciding to just re-heat some fish, put it on rice, and slather some sauce on it. She wasn't in the mood to cook anything properly, and didn't feel like ordering out.

After her daddy left, she clicked on the television in the living room, sat on the couch and kicked up her feet. It was poor posture, but she was alone. Yu could look after Nanako.

Her thoughts ran in circles, and she didn't bother to try and break free of the cycle of anger that she found herself in. Why couldn't Saki see that she was helping? Why would she reject her?

The news showed that an unusual weather pattern was moving across the region, which had come up out of nowhere, the weather lady was saying, apologizing, even as it was pointed out that this front had caught everyone by surprise, and that no one was at fault for nature's work.

Midori plucked the blanket that rested over the top of the couch, a hand-knitted one that daddy bought from someone in town earlier in the year. She flipped it over her legs, then let herself fall into a restless sleep, hoping that dreams would clear her mind.

There was rain.

There was fog.

Then on the Television, at the stroke of midnight, there was screaming.

 **Shirogane Apartment  
** **Almost Midnight** **  
**

Naoto was reminded of the line from Sherlock Holmes. Whenever the impossible has been eliminated, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.

Watching them enter the television, then hours later, emerge from it. Hiding their movement from the cameras, they took pains to leave without being a group.

Which, naturally, was supposed to be impossible. But here it was. Fact.

That meant going back and reviewing everything.

The one thing that stood out was the local legends about the Midnight Channel, about how you could see people in your television at Midnight, that they were a person that you were going to love.

And yet, people reported seeing people who had gone missing on the channel. People who vanished, then returned within days. One of whom was dead.

It was _logical_ that there was a connection between the two events, though proving it was something that seemed impossible. It was a massive paradigm changer.

On the other hand, it was equally possible that people in authority already knew what was going on, but then that left the question of _who_ , and why were the high-school students getting involved?

The clock showed that it was coming up to midnight, and Naoto checked that the weather was cooperating. The sudden shift was not a worry, though the fact that it led into optimal conditions for the appearance of the Midnight Channel did mean that...

Mean what? That the _weather itself_ was in on this? That was an assumption too far.

But Naoto wrote it down in the note book that was holding all the notes for this case. These sorts of notebooks were a professional tradition that went back at least a hundred years. In the library at home, there were notebooks for simple cases, where the detective had to do barely an hours worth of work before resolving the case, to larger, more complicated conspiracies that traversed the whole of the nation, to the highest offices.

Privately, for Naoto would never admit to it to anyone else, but the best ones were the ones involving demons. When reading them at a younger age, Naoto found the fanciful descriptions of otherworldly creatures to be a wonderful thing. Fairy tales for the young detective. But growing older, she saw the brilliant truth. It was all code. The truth of the matter was that the 'demons' were nothing more than placeholder names for everyone involved. Protecting the guilty and innocent at the same time. It was if the writer of the books knew that someone would read them in the future, and the truth would be worse than a lie. Even the detective himself wrote himself as a demon, calling his stand-in 'Raiho'.

Naoto seriously considered reviving that concept for this investigation, if the impossibilities continued to stack up. But midnight struck, and the television flickered to life.

A burning city.

 **Dojima Residence**

Yu dialed Yosuke's number, if only because his was at the top of the list. The phone didn't even ring once before Yosuke picked it up and started talking. "Dude! This is so not good! What the hell, man?"

"Calm down," Yu said. "It just looks bad, but it can't be."

"Yeah, you're right." Yosuke took a deep breath to settle himself. "It was just so... sudden, right?"

"It was," Yu agreed. "Could you please call Chie, and let her know that we'll be meeting at the Shrine tomorrow, 1 PM to go over what we saw? She can tell Yukiko. I'll call Midori-sensei, and she can pass the message along to Amane-san."

"Right!" Yosuke agreed. "But it's weird though," he said after a moment.

"What?"

"Why didn't we see anyone this time?"

Yu didn't have an answer to that.

 **Mochizuki Residence**

Amane plucked the phone out of its cradle, tired at having her sleep interrupted. "Yes?" she asked, hoping it was just someone who thought that they saw a ghost, and wanted an appropriate response organized for later. She had been caught off guard by how often that sort of thing happened in a rural community like Yasoinaba, though she was equally beginning to suspect that there were more factors involved than simple typical rural spiritualism.

"I'm sorry for calling you," Yu said, very apologetic in tone and word. "However, there was something on the Midnight Channel, and I can't get in contact with Midori-sensei."

"She may have her phone turned off."

"I thought so too. But I would like to have everyone meet up at the Shrine at 1 PM tomorrow so we can discuss what happened."

"And you wish for me to carry that message to Midori?"

"If you would please."

Amane thought for a moment, then came up with a more direct solution. "You live next door."

There was a moment's silence. "Yeah. You're right. I should knock. I can borrow the spare key."

"Do that," Amane said, then hung up. She walked back to her bedroom, then fell onto the mattress with a total lack of respect for her social status. The snores just added to the incongruity.

 **Komaki Household**

The lights were on, and the front door unlocked. Yu let himself in, then called out. "Midori?"

There was no answer, so he checked and saw her shoes still present, her jacket hanging in the closet. She hadn't stepped out, so he climbed up to the second floor and knocked on her bedroom door, fully aware of how awkward this would be for anyone who wasn't his cousin.

"Midori?" he asked again, then after a moments hesitation, tried the door.

She wasn't home.


	18. 08 May 2011

**08 May 2011  
** **Komaki Household  
** **Morning**

Dan knocked on the door, jacket wrapped tight around him from the sudden bitter weather that descended upon the town last night. The overcast clouds threatening to rain again sometime during the day.

There was no answer.

He knocked again, and once again got no answer. He checked his watch, then dialed her number. The phone rang, but she didn't pick up. Worried now, he turned around and headed for her cousin's home, the possibility of her staying there was quite logical.

It was a quick walk – across the street, around the corner and down the hill to arrive at the Dojima household. There, he walked up to the front door and knocked.

This time, the door was answered promptly by the second-year student, Yu.

"President!" he said, surprised at Dan's presence. "How can I be of service?"

"Is your cousin, Midori, home?" he asked. "She agreed to meet with me today, but her home is dark."

Yu frowned. "Odd, she was home yesterday. Have you tried the priestess, Amane?"

Dan remembered her, how he helped the sheltered miko finish her secular education. "Not yet."

"Please, come in," Yu offered. "I have her number."

So invited, Dan stepped in to the front hall, but kept his shoes on. "Yu? Who is it?"

"It's the student president," Yu explained, "He's looking for Midori, as she's not home."

"She should be," another adult said, Dan recognizing the two voices now as Ryotaro and Mamoru respectively. "She was home when we went out last night."

Dan listened as Yu contacted the priestess, asking her about Midori. The response seemed to be in the negative by the way he reacted.

"I'll drive you," Mamoru said as he got up from the couch. "Then, when I get home Midori and I are going to have a talk." He obviously wasn't happy with his daughter skipping out like this, and Dan resolved himself to avoid the worst of that potential storm, even as he said the proper words of thanks.

 **Tatsuhime Shrine  
** **Afternoon**

"Where is she?" Amane asked.

"I don't know," Yu admitted. "She's not answering her phone, and no one I've contacted has seen her since last night."

"Could she have, you know, gone back there?" Chie offered. "I mean, she was pretty upset that we came back to rest up."

"And when we were saving you," Yosuke indicated Amane, "she was quite adamant that we not give up. We only came back here after confronting their" - Chie and Yukiko - "shadows."

This revelation disturbed Amane. "I know she is dedicated, but such an action seems out of place."

"We should check anyways," Yu said. "Amane-san, would you mind seeking out Saki-chan, and asking her if she's seen Midori? She could have simply stayed with her for moral support."

Amane considered that. "It seems possible. Very well."

"Alright, I want you guys," Yu pointed at his three classmates, "to head to Junes, and check in with Teddie. If Midori entered, then he'll know. I'm going to check out the Velvet Room – she may have gone there."

"Right!"

 **Konishi Residence**

"No, we haven't seen her," Mister Konishi said after Amane found him. "She dropped Saki off yesterday, and she's still in her room."

"May I see her?"

"Of course!"

Amane let herself be guided further back to find Saki in her room, the door slid open. She was hunched over her desk, working on what the priestess thought was her homework. Amane coughed to get her attention, and it took a moment for Saki to look up. "Yes?"

"We are not returning," Amane said first to clear up any misconceptions. "However, have you talked to Midori today?"

"No," Saki said, turning away from Amane. "And I don't want to."

"Thank you." Amane replied with a short bow. She wasn't in her work clothes, so it wasn't like people were expected to give her that respect. "If you do, please contact us."

"I don't care."

Seeing that there was nothing more here for her, Amane stepped away. "I'm sorry about that," Saki's father apologized – not only for the rudeness, but for whom it was directed at. "I will scold her properly for her behaviour."

"No," Amane said, pulling upon the authority people gave her, "It is not I she is angry with, and I do not fault her expression of it. Please, let it be."

"Very well, priestess."

 **Velvet Room**

"Ah!" Igor greeted Yu as he sat down. "How are you this day?"

"I am well," Yu replied, noting the presence of Margaret, but not Marie. "Pardon me for being blunt, but have either of you seen Midori in the past day or so?"

The two residents of the Velvet Room exchanged glances, a gesture that Yu caught and recognized as suspicious. "She has not been here," Igor said carefully.

"But you do know," Yu pressed on.

"Be careful, young man," Margaret said, closing her book. "Your search for the truth will take you to places that those around you do not want to admit to existing. When you encounter such things, no matter how impossible it may seem, no matter the lengths that people will go to hide them, the truth is what matters."

"She was taken," Yu guessed. "She's in the television world now, and it... no. She already has a Persona. Why would that happen?" He leaned back, thinking about the situation. "But that would mean that..."

Realization dawned, the logic flimsy in his grasp, but still _truth_. "The world inside the television is artificial. Someone is _using_ it."

Igor nodded. "Now go."

 **On the road**

Mamoru and Dan were quiet as they left town, the quiet hum of the electric car making the silence all the more deep. As they passed out of sight of the town, Mamoru finally broke the barrier between them. "How is school doing?"

"Very well," Dan replied, recognizing that going the whole trip without speaking would be problematic, and was thus grateful for the more casual conversation. "I should let you know, though the official announcement will be made tomorrow, that the school will be closed for a month over the summer break to perform more renovations."

"Didn't they do that last year as well?"

"Yes. The funds to pay for the upgrades and repairs were made available again, so this will be less vital work."

"Nice of Kirijo to invest in the school like that," Mamoru pointed out as he slowed down due an approaching train crossing.

"You knew?" Dan was surprised, though in retrospect he shouldn't have been.

"I'm not a fool," Mamoru said as he passed over the tracks. "And I've been appraised by President Kirijo herself to not concern myself with financing Midori's education. She will be paying for it, much as she had diverted funds to your school."

Dan sat, considering that. "I want to know why, but on the other hand, not asking seems more prudent. To have someone with such connections..."

"I know why," Mamoru said. "And I'm not about to turn the offer down. I don't see any of the money."

There was a lot left unsaid, and Dan could read between the lines.

"How's your parents?" Mamoru asked, "I don't think I've met them."

"They both work a lot," Dan replied. "I don't see them as often as I would like."

"I can sympathize," Mamoru admitted. "My work takes me away as well."

"We all get to see our families though, so it's not a strain," Dan pointed out.

"Well, if you're really that interested in pursuing a relationship with my daughter, I can always invite you over for supper one of these days."

Dan froze.

Mamoru laughed. "I'm the father of a teenaged girl. I have all the requisite super powers, including detecting suitors."

"I..."

"I know that that teacher, Morooka-sensei objects, but the two of you are young adults, and you should be able to make decisions like that on your own – for good or for ill."

"I..."

"Was planning on taking this trip alone with her to broach the subject," Mamoru filled in. "I did the same thing with her mother when we were younger. Which is one of the reasons I offered to drive you."

"Thank you," Dan regained his voice. "I don't know what to say."

"You can start by trying to help me understand why she's been in such a dark and foul mood for the past few weeks."

"I do not know myself," Dan admitted. "I had hoped to take this opportunity to learn more from her."

"She would run verbal rings around you," Mamoru warned. "She's gotten good at that. You're too straight to keep up."

"I was afraid of that, but I hoped that by being alone with her in another town, she would be able to open up more."

"Nothing wrong at school?"

"Not that I can see." Dan considered possible causes. "And by your question, you think nothing of the home?"

"No," Mamoru agreed. "I talked with Ryotaro, and it doesn't seem to be anything on his end. Nanako hasn't noticed anything, we hope."

"For someone so outgoing," Dan thought aloud, "she works hard to keep things private."

"I think it's because she's outgoing that she values privacy so much," Mamoru stated. "She respects people's boundaries."

"That seems to be the case," Dan agreed. "Do you suppose her... leave of absence has something to do with this?"

"I hope not," Mamoru said honestly. "But if she isn't home tonight, I have a few more people to contact, including some of her out-of-town friends."

 **Junes Department Store  
** **Food Court** **  
**

The three groups shared their findings. Amane first, explaining that Saki was out of contention before Yu spoke up. "Igor and Margaret didn't say as much, but they did imply that Midori was in the other place."

"Teddie didn't see her," Yosuke pointed out. "And he's been waiting right there the whole time."

"It's like he's a puppy, waiting for the master to come home," Chie said, making the connection with her own pet. "Just, you know. A Mascot. And a Bear."

Yukiko started to giggle at the image. "Maybe we should bring him a treat next time!"

"Or how about not?" Chie objected. "So, what, she got kidnapped?"

"How? Why?" Amane asked, worried. "From her own home?"

"Well, if she is, she'll just kick ass and get herself out," Yosuke said with a flourish of his hand.

"No," Yu said with a bit of seriousness. "She won't." He reached into a pocket of his jacket and withdrew the card with the image of Frosty on it. "Whatever took her, left her summoning focus behind."

 **Teddie's Stage**

They emerged into Teddie's world, with the bear waiting for them. "Hi guys," he tried to sound chipper but couldn't. "Are you sure about this? I mean, I can't really smell anything."

"There's no other place she could be," Yu said. "And we saw something new on the Midnight Channel last night."

"You did?" Amane asked. "Perhaps I should get a television then."

"Yeah," Yosuke said, "A burning city? Blood-red sky? Screams of the damned? You didn't miss anything."

"What?" Amane stopped, then turned to face him directly. "Repeat that. Tell me every detail."

"What's there to say?" Chie wondered. "It was a big city, the sky was red, it looked like a disaster zone, people were screaming. No one person though."

"You know," Yu hazarded a guess. "Midori knew about your place here, and now you know hers."

"What of it?" Amane said harshly and defensively before realizing what she had done. "No, don't answer that. If it is true, then why does this place find the memories that destroy us?"

"You make it sound like this place is mean!" Teddie objected. "That makes me angry!" he added, stomping one foot on the ground at the same time. "Take it back!"

"It is not you," Amane tried to console him. "But there is something about this place that draws out the darker sides of us in these shadows. That you are so helpful only shows that you are a bright light amidst this darkness."

"Why thank you!"

"That was quite poetic," Yukiko smiled. "But still, if Teddie doesn't know how to get to this new place here, how can we? You would think that fires would be visible, even through the fog?"

"I'm telling you, I don't smell anything!"

"Maybe this will help," Yu said, pulling out the card for Black Frost. "If you smell things, perhaps having her scent might help."

"He's a bear, not a bloodhound!" Yosuke chipped in as Teddie took the card in hand.

"What is this?" Teddie asked as he examined the card. "It feels... weird."

"I have one too," Amane said, producing Jezebel's material container. "It is a way for people with power to safely summon Personas."

"Oooh! Can I get one too?" Teddie made punching motions with his arms. "Then I can beat up Shadows too!"

"We'll see," Yu said with a smile. "Now, can that help you find her?"

Teddie sniffed the card. "Maybe? I mean, it doesn't _smell_ like her." He raised his nose, flat as it was, to the sky and checked for a scent. "Something... that way?"

"You don't sound too sure." Yosuke didn't hide his concerns.

"Maybe if we stepped away from a place she's been, he can get a better smell?" Yukiko suggested.

"That's a good idea," Yu agreed. "Come on Teddie, let's get some clearer air for you."

"Sure!"

They picked a random direction and walked away from the stage for a couple minutes, then Teddie tried again. "I think I smell something!" He pointed even further into the fog. "Come on!"

Teddie led the way, running at his pace – but a jog for the others.

"How did she get here?" Chie asked as they moved. "I mean, sure, through the TV and all, but how? And why? If she was kidnapped, that means there's a kidnapper."

"The same person who attacked Amane-san?" Yukiko suggested.

"Yeah? But who? And why?"

"Couldn't be Saki, could it?" Yosuke didn't want that to be true. "I mean, she wouldn't, right?"

"I don't think so," Yu agreed. "Besides, I don't see Saki attacking Amane."

"It was not her," the priestess agreed. "I am certain of it."

"Then who?" Chie asked again.

"We do not know, and do not have enough evidence to make a conclusion," Amane pointed out. "But we will."

 **Tunnel Road**

"No wonder," Teddie said as they approached the large rectangular gateway, the concrete road beginning a few feet in front of it before diving down into the depths. "The smell was hidden because it's all underground!"

"A tunnel?" Chie tried to see further in, but could not. "This doesn't have much to do with a city, you know."

"Perhaps it is on the other side?" Yukiko suggested.

"There's only one way to find out." Yu started walking into the tunnel. After a moment, everyone else followed.

The tunnel was long, but straight, wide enough for four cars, the concrete divider between them supporting the pillars that ran to the roof.

Ahead of them, a light started to appear, the end of the tunnel. "Come on!" Yosuke yelled out, breaking into a run. "I see the light!"

"Wait!" Yu called out. "Don't run ahead!"

"We're almost there!" Yosuke replied as he stayed at the front of the group. "Damn, that's bright, I can barely see...! Yikes!" Yosuke dove to the ground to avoid something flying as it made a pass on him. "Shadows!"

"Yosuke!" Yu called out. "Obariyon! Sonic Punch!"

The small persona appeared, jumping off Yu's back, causing him to stumble for a moment as it leaped at the bird. "A Suparna?" Amane asked. "What is that doing here?"

"It's just a shadow!" Chie explained as she ran past the priestess.

"It's awfully detailed for a Shadow!" Yosuke yelled back as he was able to regain his feet, Yu's persona knocking it away. "Dammit! Jiraiya!"

The frog-ninja summoned up a baffle of wind, but the flying shadows defied expectation by riding the currents of air, rather than be forced to the ground by them. "Wind won't work that well!" Teddie called out. "They're too good at it!"

Three of the birds arranged themselves in front of the humans, hovering just within reach. Amane racked her brain for their weaknesses, but could not remember anything about such a weak demon.

Although, it also confirmed to her that this place was built around Midori. No one else would have that information. As she stood back, the others quickly rallied and destroyed the three Shadows before taking in their surroundings.

It was ruins. On this side of the tunnel, cars were abandoned – broken and crashed, forming a small maze that only worked if one didn't climb over them. In the distance, she could see The Hills, the towering building not where it was in real life. To both sides, above the walls limiting the roadway, smoke rose in small columns, and the cries of humanity existed just at the edge of their hearing.

"What is this?"

"This is something you should not see," Amane said. "But it appears that you must. Midori is there," she nodded at the distant building. "That is where all this ended."

Yu thought about that for a moment, before putting the pieces together. "This is Tokyo," he said, working his way through his thoughts out loud. "Or what she remembers of it. Where she saved you."

"Correct," Amane confirmed, glad that she was not being called upon to lie for her friend.

"Then why are these Shadows so different? I mean, I got a really good look at one!" Yosuke called out.

Amane closed her eyes to steady herself. "We are not the first group of Persona users she has fought with – or against."

"So, these shadows will take on the forms of Personas?" Chie looked around, as though expecting everything to turn into a potential enemy. "What can we expect to see?"

"I could not tell you," Amane responded. "I was... safely protected for most of these events."

"So what does this all mean?" Yukiko asked of no one.

"We should keep going," Yu cut off further discussion. "I suspect we'll find out the further in we go."

The road slowly opened up, though the occasional attacks by Shadows kept them on their toes. And struggling. Side streets were checked carefully, the occasional reward for their perseverance stored for future use.

"Dude!" Yosuke complained, "these things are tough!"

"They are," Chie agreed. "Man, think we need to practice more?"

"Hrm," Amane checked her weapon. It was getting plenty of use in this place as she sought to conserve her strength. It wasn't like she could take half an hour between battles any more. And she could tell that her form was atrocious. She needed practice – perhaps a teacher. But who could do that in town?

"Well, we're getting lots of interesting things for Daidara," Yu pointed out the one upside to all this. "I think we'll get some good stuff from it."

"How can he work with it when he doesn't even know where it's coming from?" Yosuke pointed out the obvious question.

"Well, he pays good money for it," Yu replied.

"Then we promptly spend it all on the new stuff he makes!" Chie said.

"I'm confused," Teddie finally spoke up. "What are you talking about?"

"Just stuff on our side of the world," Yukiko replied, patting his head to show she cared about his opinion. "I'm confused too, so I trust the others with the details."

"There's an open space ahead," Yu called out as he rounded a bus that was set crosswise on the road. "Looks like an intersection."

"Oh great, why wouldn't roads in a city be a maze?"

"Except there's someone there," Chie said as she climbed on top of a car to get a better view. "It looks like her!"

"Already?" Yukiko hoped that this would be a simple rescue.

"No," Yu and Amane said at the same time. "It's her Shadow," Yu finished as he got a clear line of sight to it.

"But she has a Persona! She shouldn't have a Shadow!" Chie pointed out the obvious.

Yu looked down at the card carefully resting in his jacket pocket. And thought about what Amane had said. "No, she shouldn't," he agreed. "There's something else going on here."

The group of people gathered up at the edge of the intersection, vehicles piled high around the other three entrances. Standing in the middle was Midori. Except not. Her hair was wild, and her clothes tattered and torn. She held herself impossibly imperiously, her tonfa now as long as a sword, held in front of her, blunt point down into the ground. Despite the apparent reality, it was easy to tell that this was not the person they were looking for.

"Midori?" Yu asked.

"WHO SAID YOU COULD SPEAK?" The Shadow roared as it slammed its long stick into the ground.

"Whoa, what's this?" Chie piped up.

"I'm sorry," the false-Midori leaned forward and cupped her ear. "Did the little arrogant bitch say something? Without permission?"

"Excuse me?!" Chie started to get riled up. "Where do you get off..."

"Shut up," the Shadow snapped calmly, interrupting her. "I don't care for your little tantrums. Be silent."

"Hey!"

The Shadow swivelled around, intent on ignoring her. "Let's see. Arrogant and petulant child. Check. Vapid princess, check. Monster. Sycophant. Helpless deceiver. Blank slate."

Chie, Yukiko, Teddie, Yosuke, Amane and Yu. "Why do you say that?" Yu asked.

"Isn't it obvious? That's what you are!"

"What the hell's a sycophant?" Yosuke whispered.

"A yes-man," Amane replied.

"I'm not a Monster! I'm a bear!"

"You're just a thing!" the Shadow screeched, pointing its weapon at him. "You're not a real bear!"

"Hey!" Yukiko moved in front of Teddie, arms wide to protect him. "That's not a nice thing to say!"

"Oh really?" the Shadow retorted. "How can you think that? Oh wait, you don't. Think."

"Shut up!" Chie yelled.

"Why? Truth hurts! It rips off your face, leaving behind a bloody mess! Besides, you're part of her problem. All you do is act like her knight, protecting her from anything that might disturb her pretty little hair! Some lover you are."

Chie saw red. "Why you..!"

Amane drew attention to herself to try and delay Chie from doing something they would both regret. "Why did you call me that?"

"The only person who lies more than me is you!" The Shadow seemed to relax. "I mean, it's just _so nice_ to tell the truth once in a while, and yet, here you are, just as deceptive and pulling everyone in to protect you."

"That is a poor way of looking at my situation."

"YOUR SITUATION?" The Shadow screamed out, and the sky started to darken. "Look around you, Head Priestess of the Shomonkai! Murderer of Thousands! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"

"Yes," Amane replied, cold as ice. "I too was a tool for higher powers."

"There _is_ no higher power! We are humanity!"

"Your arrogance is unbecoming," Amane reminded the Shadow. "All you are doing is speaking without understanding."

"Am I? No! I understand fully! This is the first time I get to speak my mind in years! No more hiding!" She whipped her weapon around in an arc. "Do you have any idea what it's like to have to lie every day?"

No one answered. "Well, I do!"

"I've had enough of this," Chie gritted her teeth. "Tomoe!"

Launching into the fight, Chie's Persona emerged, swinging its double-edged polearm against the Shadow.

The Fake Midori watched it approach with an expression of boredom, then sliced her weapon through the air, blocking the first attack, then the second one without showing any sign of effort. Then it slammed its weapon down on Tomoe's head, a sharp crack that was punctuated by the cry of "PUNISHMENT!"

Chie flinched in sympathy at the strike. "Ow..."

"Guys," Teddie warned, "This isn't going to be easy... she's strong!"

"Chie! Yukiko! Yosuke! With me!" Yu snapped out, "Amane, get ready to support!"

The four classmates carefully advanced, Yukiko taking a moment to hand a healing tonic to Chie, who drank it and shook her head clear of the worst of the after-effects. "Thanks."

"No problem! Come on, let's beat up this Shadow!" Yukiko cheered them all on. "Then we can get our team-member back!"

Yu, for his part, wasn't so encouraged. There was something in the way this Shadow held itself. Despite the grandstanding, she watched them carefully, ready to react to their moves. "Yosuke," Yu drew his attention, "Don't attack yet."

"Why not?"

"Just don't," Yu tried to put his feelings into words. "Hold up!" He yelled out, trying to settle on what bothered him.

"Oh come on, are you so lost without me?" the Shadow taunted him. "Come on!"

"Fine! Konohana Sakuya!" Yukiko called out, voice raised against the one that would harm her precious friend. "Agi!"

The persona manifested, and from her feathered wings, a ball of fire flicked out, seeking the Shadow.

"PUNISHMENT!" it yelled out and hit the ball of flame with her weapon – the flame flickered, then was sent rebounding right at Yukiko. Her Persona quickly responded by covering her with her wings, and the flame dissipated off them, leaving only slight scorch marks.

"Yukiko!" Chie called out, worried.

"I'm fine, I was protected," Yukiko responded. "But she keeps returning our attacks. How do we beat her?"

Yosuke bounced back and forth. "Hey, man? What if we act at the same time? Think she could get us both?"

"It's worth a try," Yu said. "On three?"

"I cAn HEAr yoU!" the voice of the Shadow warbled.

"Three! Cu Sith!" "Jiraiya!" Simultaneously, the two personas charged at Midori's Shadow, the faster frog-ninja swiping at her with its knives, blocked and countered as expected, but leaving it open for the slower dog-fairy to slam into her side, the first real damage it took.

"FInE!" She charged at Yosuke, and stabbed at him with the end of her weapon. He tried to dodge, but it still caught him hard on the side, sending him to the ground. Amane rushed over to check on him.

"I'm fine!" he coughed, regaining his breath. "What the hell is that?"

Amane helped him to his feet. "This is... she is countering attacks made against her, verbal and physical."

"I _get_ that," Yosuke accepted the healing magics from Yukiko as he moved to retake his place. "But this isn't like her."

"I don't think this is her," Yu said. "All four at once!"

This time, everyone tried to attack at the same time, pelting the Shadow with magic. Agi from Yukiko, Bufu from Chie, Garu from Yosuke and Zio from Yu. The crescendo of magic pounded on the Shadow, who could do nothing but cover its head and take the repeated blows.

"Did we do it?" Yosuke was cheered on by the fact that no one had been attacked in response.

"MICRO NOVA!" The Shadow called out, opening her arms wide as above everyone, a white ball began to coalesce in the air, gathering power from all corners.

"Get down!" Amane cried out, recognizing that this skill was above them. She tackled the slack-jawed Teddie, pushing them both down even as the others tried to scatter.

It wasn't enough as the ball exploded into a pure tone of light and sound that shook everything.

Amane recovered, the distance being enough that she could see. Everyone else was knocked down by the blast, and the Shadow was moving towards Chie, weapon raised to attack the fallen human.

They were all still conscious, just taking a moment to recover. Amane wasn't fast, but she was fast enough. Rising, she dashed to the Shadow, and swung her naginata in a wide arc – not to harm, but to intercept the wooden sword.

The two weapons intersected and narrowly avoided Chie. "Come," she hissed, hoping to draw its attention long enough for the others to stand, "or do you intend to strike the fallen, like a villain?"

"I'm A heRO!" the Shadow's voice continued to modulate. "YoU're the VILLaiN!"

"Isn't that easy for you to say?" She swung, but not to attack – just to keep it occupied. The others stood, enough start recovering. "But I have _mastered_ my demons! JEZEBEL! Marin Karin!"

It was a long shot, but if she could... convince the Shadow that they were not enemies for even a few seconds, things would start to go their way. In response to her invocation, a curtain of Sakura petals swam across them both before fading away.

"NO ONE teLLs mE whaT TO Do!" the Shadow shrieked. "NoT AngELs! NOt DEmOns!"

"What about your friends?" Amane was disappointed that it didn't work. "Will you not listen to US?"

"You're NOT MY FRIEND!"

"I am, despite my flaws – and yours." Amane said with a whisper, then punched 'Midori' in the face.

It cracked, the fractures spreading out across her face. The Shadow stepped back, facing the half-circle of humans who opposed her. "No, you're not." it said and dropped its weapon, putting its hands on her face and started to claw at it.

"Dude..." Yosuke watched, stunned, as the Shadow's face started to fall off, red drops behind the facade hitting the ground and evaporating.

"DoN't Lik~~kE ME~Eee?" The pulling continued, "YoU~o haVen't _Seen_ the REAL ME!"

With a mighty tear, the Shadow ripped its own head in two, then it exploded, a pulse that forced everyone to look away for a moment, but did no harm. When they could look back , the Shadow was missing, and before them a path further into the city was revealed.

"That was _disgusting_!" Chie said as she struggled to stand, helping Yukiko up at the same time. " _She ripped her face off_."

"Not a face," Amane corrected her.

"A mask." Yu agreed.

Teddie looked at everyone, worry on his face. "You're all beat up! I don't think you can keep going."

"You're right," Yu agreed, looking over himself and the others. Only Amane was relatively intact, and she could not carry them further in. "We need to get back to our world."


	19. 08 May 2011 to 09 May 2011

**Junes**

 **Back Rooms**

Yosuke pulled another Hot/Cold pack out of the microwave and passed it over to Amane, who wrapped it in a cloth and applied it to his side. He hissed at the contact before letting himself relax. "Nothing is broken," she told him.

"We got off lucky," Chie said after thinking about that fight. "I thought Shadows were... I don't know, like _weaker_ than the person they represent? Maybe?"

"In some ways, they are," Amane agreed. "However, they also represent our inner selves. They are not the whole of us."

"And _she kicked our asses_!" Yosuke complained as well as he could with his bruised side. "What the hell man?"

"She was holding back," Yu pondered. "For our sakes, I mean. She let us practice and fight without her, didn't she?"

"Well, yeah." Chie thought about it. "Didn't she fight Shadows before revealing Frosty? Just how powerful is she?"

Amane had an idea, but didn't like it. "I don't know," she said. "But I suspect it will only get worse."

"Then tomorrow we go back and train," Yu said firmly.

"No!" Yosuke objected. "Dude, that'll be three days in a row going there, and I'm exhausted! And this bruise won't go away overnight!" He hissed as his ribs ached at the breathing he had to do.

"I agree," Yukiko said. "We can't push ourselves too much."

Yu backed down, recognizing what they were saying. "Very well, we rest up tonight and tomorrow."

 **Komaki Household**

 **Evening**

Mamoru returned to an empty home after dropping Dan off. The talks they had were enlightening, to say the least. But now he was filled with doubt. What had happened to his daughter? Was she safe? Was she hiding things from him? Why?

But he refused to panic yet. Ryotaro had let his fellow officers know to contact him if they saw her – she wasn't missing yet as it was only a day.

He went up to her room, and let himself in. It took only a moment to find her phone and to plug it in. Then he looked through the list of contacts, though the person he was searching for was near the top, the name spelled in English letters. He dialed the associated number.

"Midori?" the voice on the other end said. "You usually call sooner."

"Aigis," Mamoru introduced himself. "When was the last time you talked to my daughter?"

 **Dojima Household**

Dojima groaned as he closed the door behind him, tossing aside his jacket. "I'm home!"

"DAD!" Nanako rushed over and hugged him, which he returned.

"Hey, how was your day?"

"I played with friends!" She smiled and Ryotaro couldn't help but do the same.

"Oh, hey Yu." He looked up at his nephew. "You look tired. What were you doing?"

"Running around all day," Yu agreed, starting to feel what the others were going through. "Supper is pretty simple."

"I cooked rice!" Nanako exclaimed, proud of her contribution.

"Did you? That's good." Ryotaro kicked off his shoes and headed for the living room. "I need to sit down."

"Bad day?" Yu rolled up the towel in his hands and went to check up on the cooking meal.

"Had to deal with some... person," he checked his language with Nanako right there, "who thought the the television was evil, and showing crime victims." 

Yu kept his face impassive. "That doesn't sound like fun."

"The TV isn't evil!" Nanako objected. "It's fun!"

Ryotaro picked her up to sit on his lap. "And you're quite correct! So, what shall we watch?"

"Magical Detective Girl Loveline!"

"Really? That's on on Sunday evenings?"

"Big-sis records it for me!"

"Oh really?"

"Yep!"

"Well then, let me check the VCR."

 **Minatodai Dormitory**

 **Tatsumi Port Island**

"Aigis. No."

"She is in trouble." Aigis repeated as she packed an extra bandoleer of grenades into her bag.

"Aigis. _No_." Junpei knew he couldn't physically stop Aigis, so he had to try words. Scratching his beard, he kept talking instead. "Look, she's having some personal problems, right? That's why her dad called?" He vaguely remembered meeting the man at some point, but knew nothing of him. "Everyone has bad days."

"I am her friend. She is my friend. I will help."

"Not with enough firepower to successfully defend the Home Islands," Junpei winced as Aigis checked her arm cannon for flaws "Her problems are not the kind that get shot at or Persona'd into submission."

Aigis stopped, considering those words. "What else can I do?" she said quietly.

"Look, we're just coming off Golden Week. Maybe she just needs some time to... I dunno... figure things out?"

"If she was having problems, she would have told me."

"Or Chidori," Junpei admitted to being the third... fourth? wheel in that paradigm, but didn't think himself lesser for it. Girls were girls, even when one of them was a robot, one was a magical girl and the other was his girlfriend.

He needed more friends. Or more _normal_ ones.

"Besides," he kept talking, "she's the kind of person to take the problems of others onto herself, and not let go. You? Chidori? Me on occasion?"

"Your problems tend to revolve around Chidori, and thus do not count as separate."

"Ouch!" Junpei mimicked being struck in the chest. "Right to the heart! How will I ever recover?"

"Ken has bandaids in his room."

"Yeah, I'll get right on that. Look, make you a deal. Midori misses out her next call on the weekend, or she or her dad comes for help, then _all of us_ go. Not just you." He straightened himself up in the doorway. "Give her a chance to fix things herself, then we ride to the rescue if she can't."

Aigis looked down at the weapons in front of her. She could use the time to optimize her load-out. "Acceptable."

"Good. Because if that didn't work, the next step would have been to put Koromaru in your way , and have him do that thing with his eyes until you relent."

"That... is an effective weapon," Aigis had to admit. "I would be hard pressed to overcome it."

"Good!" Junpei agreed with a cocky grin. "I'll let the mutt know he still has it to be cute!"

 **Mochizuki Residence**

 **Yasoinaba**

Amane busied herself preparing two meals. One was her supper, the other was breakfast for Mari, who was working night shifts for the month at the hospital. That meant that they rarely got the chance to talk, and she was hoping to take the opportunity to do that tonight.

Mari stepped out of the washroom, wrapped in a towel. "Thanks," she said as she sat down and dug into the large meal prepared for her.

"You're welcome." Amane replied as she ate her own more spartan meal. After a couple minutes, she had found that this line of conversation was far more difficult to start than she had anticipated. The doctor had opened up her home and her heart to the former cultist, and it was a genuine gesture of peace after those hellish days.

"Mari?"

"Yes?" The older woman looked up from her food.

Words failed her. There was nothing she _could_ say that would justify revealing her reservations and concerns to her friend. No matter how accurate or hateful the accusations of Midori was – she knew that it was no mere 'shadow' that could speak like that – there was no meaning in bringing Mari into it.

"You have some rice on your chin," she pointed out.

"Oh! Thanks."

 **09 May 2011**

 **Classroom 2-2**

 **Lunchtime**

"Sick?" the third year whose name he could not recall leaned over Yu, her face a mix of anger and worry. "What?"

"Food poisoning," Yu repeated the excuse he had come up with when called by Midori's homeroom teacher to explain her absence.

The third year swore. He finally placed her as one of the members of her school club. "Fine. I'll handle things. But she had better be back tomorrow!"

Yu nodded, knowing that wasn't going to be the case. The third year took his agreement, straightened up, then left the room, allowing Yu and his friends to return to their conversation and lunch.

"What the hell are we going to do?" Yosuke wondered. "Everyone else we got in a day or two, but we can't do that here!" He had the look of a tired man in his eyes, like he needed a good night's sleep but hadn't had one.

"And what about Saki?"

"I haven't checked on her," Yu admitted.

"I can do that," Yukiko offered.

"Please," Yu thanked her for her offer. "After school, you should all go home and rest. I'm going to take care of a couple things, then do the same."

"What about her dad?" Chie wondered.

"He had to leave on another business trip this morning," Yu reported. "He'll be gone for a week. I don't know what I'll do about our Uncle or Nanako though. She loves Midori and I don't think she can stand being apart from her."

"Duh, they're step-sisters," Yosuke reminded everyone.

"Worst comes to worst, Yukiko and I can babysit," Chie offered.

"Or we could get Teddie to do that!" Yukiko suggested.

"No man!" Yosuke raised his voice to a stage whisper. "That means taking her into the television, or bringing Teddie out."

"Good point," Yu rejected the suggestion. "You know, when Saki-san and Amane-san were caught up in all this, it was Midori who covered for them."

"She's been very reliable. I will be glad when we save her." Yukiko plucked a spare bit of fish from Chie's lunch box.

"Well, she did say she would take responsibility," Chie fought over the next bit of fish. "But man, what was up with her Shadow? Anyone think of an explanation last night?"

"Yeah, she was kinda... vulgar." Yosuke retrod old ground. "Why did she have to insult everyone?"

"We're teenage girls," Chie pointed at Yukiko and herself with her chopsticks, including their missing member by proxy. "We think mean things about people all the time."

"I don't!" Yukiko objected.

Chie waved that off dismissively. "Alright, all of us except Yukiko. But what if her Shadow is just, you know, her saying what she wants to say?"

"By being insulting? That seems kinda... lame."

"Not everyone is simple," Yu warned. "She's been at this a long time, and she's made no secret of the fact she keeps secrets. It's possible that part of what's driving her Shadow is the work of keeping them hidden."

"Ohh..." Yosuke's face took a down turn. "That's not a good thing. I mean, what if she starts talking about things she _really_ doesn't want to say?"

"We'll take care of that when we get to it," Yu wasn't looking forward to it, if Amane's own responses were anything to go by.

 **Central Shopping District**

 **After School**

"Good afternoon, Yu." Amane bowed slightly as she stepped out of the Shrine. "How are you?"

"Definitely starting to feel it. You?"

"I was not doing as much exercise as you and your friends were," she admitted. "I recovered much faster."

"Guess that's another reason why Midori wanted us to rotate around," Yu rubbed the back of his neck. "Man, I guess we were taking her advice for granted."

"You were listening to the voice of experience," Amane pointed out. "The mark of how well she taught you will be in how you act without her."

"That's something." Yu admitted. "I was just going over to the Metalworks to sell off the stuff we picked up. Would you like to come?"

"I don't see why not," Amane said. "I was going to take a break anyways."

"Thanks," Yu bowed slightly, then strolled over to Daidara's shop, where he unloaded all the materials they had collected in the television world, then collected the reward.

"Actually," the old man said, "with some of this stuff, I can whip up some interesting things for your group."

"You're not worried where it is coming from?" Amane asked the question that was on her mind.

"Nope," he replied. "If you're involved, then I know it's safe," the confidence in her was delivered while he looked at the materials. "But it will still cost you. I'll have to buy supplies from out of town to work some of this, and that cost will get passed to you."

"Will you be selling those to other people, like the tourists?"

"Maybe," Daidara shook his head. "Just trinkets, you know. Nothing serious."

"Thank you," Yu finished counted and then looked at Amane. "Here, you hold on to this," he said, handing her the reward.

"Why?" she asked, not touching it.

"People will think less if you're holding on to money like this than a regular high-school student," was the explanation.

"Very well," Amane carefully took the money and put it into a pocket on the inside of her robes. "Thank you," she said, bowing slightly at the gift. "I won't spend all of it on the Shrine," she said as they stepped out of the store and into the overcast sky.

Yu caught the joke. "Oh, I helped that person," he pulled out the _ema_ sheet he had taken the week previous. "It wasn't that hard."

Amane smiled. "Thank you."

"If you don't mind, there's something I want to ask," Yu hoped that the promised proof of him being a trustworthy person worked.

"Of course."

"The Shadow said Shomonkai. I looked it up last night, and... there's no way you're involved with them, right?"

Amane stopped, then slowly turned to face him, her face serious. "I do not speak of such things. But know this. While there is truth in what is said, it is also not the whole of the truth. I had hoped you would overlook it, but that is now a vain hope. I lost much in those times, and I will fight with everything I have to keep what I have found since then."

"Yeah," Yu said after a split-second's consideration. "You don't seem like the type." He shook his head at the thought. "After all, you are just a small town priestess."

"Thank you for stating the obvious," Amane replied. "Please, do not let such rumours affect your thoughts adversely."

"I won't," he agreed. Then he froze for a moment. "Oh."

"Oh? What?" Amane asked.

"It's something that Midori and Margaret talked to me about. Social Links."

"I do not know what those are."

"They're an aspect of the Wild Card. Apparently we draw strength for some of our Personas through our connections with other people. And now it's telling me that you are, to me, the Hermit."

Amane scoffed. "Do I look like an old man with a lantern to you?"

"No," Yu had to agree. "Although I think I will have some reading to do tonight, to increase my knowledge."

"I presume, therefore, that we will make another attempt on Midori tomorrow?"

"Yes," Yu nodded seriously. "The sooner we get her out, the better."

 **Shirogane Apartment**

After the first day of classes at the new school, Naoto sat down to compile their thoughts by writing everything down. The transfer had gone through without a hitch, and there were no further issues in that regard.

After being introduced to the class, Naoto had been assigned to Kanji Tatsumi, a very large young man to act as a guide to the new school. Naoto recalled that he was an associate of Komaki, though it could have been something as simple as her shopping at his store.

He was also apparently a former delinquent who had turned his life around after an unfortunate incident with an out-of-town gang last year. The details were buried in police archives, but the young man had taken a look at the far shorter and slimmer classmate and introduced himself awkwardly.

"Nice hat," he had said, causing Naoto to be a little self-conscious about the old-fashioned headpiece. Naoto had taken the opportunity to redirect the comment to the school itself, making sure that the hat did not violate the dress code (it didn't) and from there to other things.

Midori Komaki, it seemed, was not in class today due to a stomach flu of some sort, and had turned off her phone to let her rest. Kanji spoke highly and very respectfully of her, enough so that Naoto made a mental note to find other people to compare his opinion to before coming to any conclusions about her character.

Inquiries into the "Midnight Channel" were far more awkward, as the detective was more used to working with evidence and scientifically backed supposition, rather than rumour and folklore. Kanji turned out to be less than helpful in that regard, but other classmates were willing to offer their own input.

It was, true to expectations, massively inconsistent in nature. Very few people agreed about the mysterious midnight transmissions. Efforts to record it had failed, it could go off the air for days at a time, then return with a different 'show'.

But given that the show had apparently been on for the past two nights, and had a 'horror' theme to it, Naoto had made precautions to attempt a recording through multiple media. A VCR, a separate camcorder, as well as their own eyes.

Midnight came.


	20. 10 May 2011

**10 May 2011  
** **Teddie's Stage  
** **After School**

"Why is the Fox here?" Chie asked Amane as she knelt down to scratch the animal under its chin. The Fox obligingly raised its head and seemed to enjoy it. "Cause if we can bring pets..."

"She is not my pet," Amane objected. "The Fox is here of her own accord, to aid us if we need it."

"Hey! I'm the cute mascot around here!" Teddie cried out at the attention given to the fox. "Can't I get a scratch too?"

"Of course!" Yukiko cheerfully rubbed the top of his head, giving the plush bear a chance to enjoy the affection.

"Are we ready then?"

"I've got the water and snacks," Yosuke hefted the bag. "When we get to Midori-sensei, I think she'll be hungry."

"I did not feel famished," Amane remembered her time here. "But it is best not to be unprepared."

"Alright," Yu was satisfied that the preparations were complete. "Let's go."

 **The City**

They were not ambushed as the exited the tunnel into the false city, for which Yosuke was grateful. Instead, they made their way through the cars until Amane held up one hand. She was looking up. "Chie-chan, please get a rock or something and throw it as high as you can."

"Uh... sure," Chie agreed as she bent down and found a loose piece of concrete that fit in her hand. With a windup, she tossed the debris up into the air, where it hit the sky with a 'clunk'.

"Thank you," Amane said, then satisfied, turned to keep walking through the streets.

"What was that about?" Yu asked her.

"I was curious as to how high the sky was," she explained. "This place, much like Saki's home, or my temple, is a stage to some degree. Therefore, I wanted to see how high the sky was."

"Makes sense," Chie agreed, watching the ceiling with curiosity. "I mean, the clouds do kinda look painted on. Sorta."

"Eyes front," Yu warned. "More Shadows."

This time, Yosuke stepped back to allow Yu and the others to fight. The length of Amane's weapon helped a lot, and the flying Shadows were quickly dispatched. "That was easier than last time," Yukiko said.

"We're stronger," Yu agreed. "But we can't assume everything will be this easy."

"You got that right!" Chie was eager to prove her growing power.

 **1st Intersection**

After fighting their way to the site of the previous encounter with Midori's Shadow, they found the crossroads empty. "Her shadow has fled deeper," Amane stated flatly, pointing at the exit across from them. "As we advance, her resistance will grow greater."

"I don't get it," Chie asked, hoping to provoke an answer. "What is she so afraid of?"

Amane didn't know. "If I had to guess," she said hesitantly, "she could be afraid of herself."

It wasn't the answer anyone was expecting, so they kept their thoughts to themselves as they made for the next area.

When they crossed the threshold, the city around them grew more damaged. Whereas the previous sky was blue, with white clouds, this sky was grey, threatening to rain at any moment. The windows that lined the streets they walked and fought stronger Shadows in were shattered, the cars were no longer just abandoned, but also overturned and showing signs of fire.

And at the edge of their hearing, yells and screams of fear and panic could just be heard.

"That is freaking me out," Yosuke said, trying to find some place where the echoes could be dimmed out. "I mean, seriously?"

"It is not serious," Amane glared at him. "There is more to come."

"What next? Blood raining from the sky?"

"No," Amane said flatly. "I may have been isolated from the worst of the material horrors of these events, but even I know that did not happen."

"Oh, good," Yosuke was relieved.

"I hope that you can accept the presence of corpses," she finished off.

"What?!" Yosuke yelled, everyone stopping to watch the two of them talk.

Amane tilted her head. "Would you prefer if I lied? It is obvious that is part of the problem here. To deceive, to lie. If I did that, what sort of example would I set?"

"Yeah, but _bodies_?"

"Saving the world, and humanity is not without cost!" Amane snapped at him, then pulled back to stand straight, rather than get in his face. "Be glad that all we see here are shadows and memories."

Yu jumped between them, facing neither. "Look, we can all agree that this isn't a good place. If the Priestess says that things are going to get worse, I'm going to believe her."

"That doesn't make this... acceptable!" Chie argued. "I mean, what happened?"

"Tokyo," Amane replied. "Yu was right – she saved me from this. I can do little more than return the favour. No matter what that may entail."

"That's not an explanation!"

"And I will give you none, until she is safe."

"Can we stop arguing?" Teddie yelled, then pointed down a side street. "Beat up more Shadows instead!"

True to his warning, there was another set of Shadows approaching from a side street. "Hey..? Are those..?" Chie's questioning was cut short as she dodged a clawed swipe from one of the Shadows that tried to pile onto them.

"Jack Frost and Pyro Jack," Amane identified the non-demons as she batted one aside with the butt of her pole-arm. "They are base forms of the lineage of Black Frost, weak to Fire and Ice respectively."

"HI~YA!" Chie punctuated that by kicking the nearest Pyro Jack, sending the pumpkin-headed Shadow flying away. "How does that work?"

"When a mommy Shadow and a daddy Shadow love each other very much," Yosuke called out from beside Teddie, watching their back, just in case.

"EEEWWW!" Chie yelled, grossed out by the image. "You're sick!"

Despite that, the enemy Shadows were quickly dispatched. "Yeah, in hind sight, that's kinda bad," Yosuke admitted. He turned his attention to Amane. "But how do you get from those things to Frosty?"

"Fusion," Yu guessed. "You can combine two Personas into one."

"What, like eating a Persona?" Chie scrunched up her face. "That's even more disgusting!"

"No," Amane agreed with her reaction. "Fusion is an aspect of the Wild Card, if I have I understand what I have been told correctly. Rather, there is an an alternate explanation."

"What would that be?" Yukiko asked for clarification.

"A Persona, much like a person, can mature over time," Amane stated carefully. "To become more powerful along with its user."

Yosuke slapped his forehead in realization. "Duh! Midori-sensei has been at this for years! She told us that! Of course she's grown like that."

"I agree. That makes the most sense," Yu nodded. "Come on then. We shouldn't keep wasting time."

They quickly formed a nice rhythm against the new opposition, switching out as needed to keep someone resting in reserve. However, as they did so, the streets started to narrow, and their way forward was blocked by debris, forcing them into side streets to find their way forward.

"Is the real Tokyo this confusing?" Yukiko wondered aloud as they returned to the main passage after checking out an empty side street. "If so, I do not think I would like to visit it."

"I'm pretty sure the streets are cleaner," Chie said as she checked around the next corner. "Hey! Open ground!"

"Careful! I smell something!" Teddie warned with a growl.

"I don't see anyone," Amane stood tall, keeping the point of her weapon at the ready in front of her.

"I smell it!" Teddie repeated. "Look carefully!"

The open area was a small park, bordered by buildings on all four sides, with small pedestrian paths in the corners. The middle area was fenced off slightly, with one side raised up. "Huh," Yosuke stepped forward, careful of potential ambushes. "I really don't see anything."

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The grand announcement started out above them, and everyone looked up to see the black blot fall from the sky. For a moment, there was confusion about what it was before the thing grew in size.

And kept growing.

"Everyone back!" Yu called out, pushing himself up against the nearest wall. "Duck and cover!"

Chie grabbed Yukiko and pulled her down, covering her friend with her own body while Yosuke dragged Teddie around the corner where they came from. Amane stood her ground, though she covered her face with her arms as the thing hit the ground with a 'thump' that was less sound, and more force.

"HE-HO! The Demon of Love and Justice arrives!"

"... the hell?" Yosuke looked around the corner, Teddie behind him. "Fro sty's HUGE!"

"This is Black Frost," Amane announced. Then she bowed to it. "Hello again."

"He-lo-ho!" The Black Frost towered over Amane, yet maintained the proportions of Midori's Persona. It stood in the middle of the open space, dominating the space with its size, both physical and mental.

"May we pass?" Amane asked. "We are here to find Midori. She is in trouble."

"No-ho!" The Black Frost shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest to emphasize the point. "No one goes past!"

"Chie, get back," Yu whispered to her as he checked on Yukiko and her. "Send Yosuke up. If we have to fight, I want him up first."

"Right," Chie agreed, not certain how to best kick something whose knees came up to her chest. "Keep Yukiko safe, alright?"

Yu nodded, and Chie ran off to switch out with Yosuke. He turned his attention back to Amane as she kept talking to the massive Shadow with no fear. "But I must! She is in danger!"

"No-ho! I will protect her!"

"But we can work together!" She pleaded.

"Why is it so big?" Yosuke asked as they got closer to Amane. "I men, Frosty is tiny!"

"This is how Black Frost truly appears," Amane distracted herself from her conversation to inform him. "Frosty is how she limits him."

"What?" Yosuke hissed. Then looked up at the disapproving glare of the twelve-foot Shadow. "Sorry!"

"I am her friend!" Amane returned to her negotiations. "I have to help her!"

"No-ho! Not a friend!"

"What do you mean by that? We are all her friends!"

Black Frost shook his head. "No-ho! She is strong! Dolly is made of Love and Justice!"

"She's not Dolly anymore," Amane replied firmly, "that strength will no longer help her."

"YES SHE IS!" Black Frost roared. "You're no-ho friend of hers to say such things!"

"I love her as a friend!" Amane shot back, "and what Justice is there in denying our aid?"

Black Frost seemed to consider this. "You may pass. No-ho one hee-else though!"

"No! We all pass."

"They don't know love!" Black Frost was quite adamant in its accusation.

"Yes they do!" Amane vouched for them.

"No-ho! They don't!" The Shadow loomed over them.

"Fine!" Amane spat. "I understand you and your kind."

"Uh..." Yu wanted to interject, but there was something in Amane's voice that shut him down.

"You understand might. You understand power. You fail to grasp that love and justice come from weakness," Amane spelled out her challenge to the massive Shadow. "In protecting her in this way, you reject our love for her. In stopping us, you pervert the justice that will come when we find those who harm her. You are a traitor, Black Frost."

Black Frost's response was a deafening roar, raising his hands over his head.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Yu whispered to her as everyone got ready. "This won't be an easy fight."

"No," Amane accepted. "He is mighty."

"Watch out for his Agi attacks," he reminded her as the roar died down. "Yosuke! You and I use Garu! Keep it off balance!"

"Right, Partner!"

"Yukiko, stay on the defensive, and heal when needed."

"Right!"

"Go!" Teddie cheered them on. "There's only room for one mascot character here!"

"What are you talking about?" Chie complained as she dragged the bear away from the fight. "Stop speaking nonsense!"

Yosuke moved first, summoning Jiraiya with a yelled, "Eat this!" The blast of wind scooped up the massive Shadow, causing it to rise up, then fall down onto its knees. "Come on!" Yosuke was eager to follow up, and Yu gave the nod, trusting that he could move faster.

The four of them charged at the kneeling Shadow, most aiming for his legs and torso, while Amane slashed at his face during the moment of weakness. They only got a few blows in before Black Frost regained his feet with a roar, pushing them all back. Yukiko held her fan in front of her, imagining her Persona's wings acting as a guard against the worst Midori's Persona could do to her.

"RAH!" Black Frost roared, and a wave of pyroclastic flame shooting at Yosuke, who braced himself rather than failing to dodge around it. It passed, and he stayed standing, gasping at the heat.

"Sylph!" Yu called out the best Persona he currently had, and as he reviewed his current stock, he recognized that a lot of them were weak to Agi or Bufu. Another factor was that he was dependent on Yosuke for the most part for certain tactical options.

His respect for Midori rose a little as he realized she was trying to teach him these things, or at least getting him to learn them sooner. Then that was tempered by the recognition that he was currently _fighting her_ on some level, and it was possible she would use those lessons against him.

These thoughts flashed through his head as his Persona manifested and slashed at Black Frost with a razor of wind. It bit deep into the Shadow, eliciting another roar, but it did not fall.

"Jezabel! Garu!" Amane called out, another blast of wind against the Shadow. Like Yosuke, it lifted him up before crashing to the ground.

"Again!" Yu called out, encouraging everyone to charge into the fray. And once again, the four of them battered the enemy Shadow before he could recover.

"JUSTICE STRIKE!" Black Frost called out his attack as he hopped into the air, then started to punch at the group so fast his hands were a blur. The four humans were caught unprepared as his fists slammed into the ground in random spots, harming all of them in the process.

"Media!" Yukiko cried out as soon as she could, restoring the energy of the fighters. "We must do this!"

"We are!" Yosuke said. "Jiraiya!" Another gust of wind pushed the mammoth Shadow over.

"Wait!" Yu called out, "We need to recover first!" He remembered how Midori described herself as heavy on the offensive, and so far Black Frost was keeping to that idea, dishing out harm like nothing he had seen before, yet so easy to knock down in return.

He switched out his Persona to the Archangel, one who had been fused before coming this day. It had inherited a defensive skill which he turned on Amane. "Rakukaja!" he called out, adding a magical layer of defence to her, should the Black Frost turn its flames on her.

If she noticed it, she did not react, instead focusing on the Shadow in front of her. "On your KNEES!" She raged, deeply offended by the whole battle, and the harm it represented. Behind her, Jezebel manifested, this time dripping black gasses which seemed to ooze terror – gasses which slid across the ground and up to the Shadow.

"He-No!" The Shadow fought back against the contamination. "No-ho-one tells he-me what to do!"

No one tells..? That was what the previous Shadow has said as well when Amane had tried to charm it. Not Angels. Not Demons. And it had introduced itself as a demon of love and justice. What did that all mean? He would need to talk to everyone after the battle.

Black Frost stood up, and this time aimed at Yu. He slammed one fist into the ground, and from it a line of exploding icicles reached out for him. He crossed his arms and the wave of cold and shards of ice hit him, slashing into him and his clothes. "Ugh!" he groaned as he dropped to one knee at the power behind the blow, even if it didn't look like it should have been that strong.

"Konohana Sakuya!" Yukiko invoked her Persona again, another wave of restorative power washing across everyone. "Are you alright?"

"Better," he said as he stood up. "We can do this!"

"Yeah!" Yosuke said, helping with the cheer.

"You guys are awesome!" Teddie added from a safe distance. "Keep going! It's really hurt!"

True to his comment, the Black Frost was not standing as upright as it was at the start of the fight. It was leaning to one side, where the earlier attack from Yu had injured it, and it no longer moved with the same firm motions.

"Garu!" Amane's Persona was invoked, another slap of wind against the Shadow knocking it down.

"Again!" Yu called, launching himself at the Shadow, everyone else following.

"NO-HO!" Black Frost said loudly as it recovered. "I must fight! For everyone-he's sakes!" It stumbled as it tried to rise, but fell down. "Fight!"

Amane did not relax her guard. "You will. Just not in this form."

Black Frost rose, and did not advance the fight. Rather, it turned its back and started to walk away, squeezing through the small alley that led further into the city.

"Uh... is that supposed to happen?" Chie asked as she opened up the sack and started to hand out restorative drinks. "Letting it go?"

"How would you have responded if someone slew Tomoe?" Amane asked as she leaned on her naginata for support.

"Yeah... you're right." Chie didn't want to think about that. If she lost the part of her which helped out, how could she face herself, or Yukiko ever again? She would rather die! "Shall we go after it?"

"I think we have to," Yu said, looking down the path the Black Frost Shadow took while fleeing. "It's the only way forward."

"Joy," Yosuke deadpanned. "How much further?"

"Until we reach the Towers," Amane pointed at the distant landmark. "That is where it ended."

"Is there _anything_ you can tell us," Yu asked as they advanced down the small street, "about all this?"

"No," Amane repeated. "You must understand, I was isolated from the street-level events. What times I did come out, was for a specific purpose, and I was protected."

"I can't even imagine that," observed Chie. "I'm so used to being able to go where I want, when I want."

"I can," Yukiko looked to her friend. "My own position means that my actions tend to be observed. I spend so much time with you because my family trusts you."

"Thanks... I think?" Chie didn't know how to respond to that before changing the subject. "What about you, Amane-san? How do you like our town?"

"I've lived here for a year and a half, and only now you ask that of me?"

"... sorry?"

"No, do not be. I understand why, for in this time, I have become a part of our town." Amane checked the corner, then stepped around it. "We are here."

"Here, where?" Yukiko asked.

"Look up," replied Amane.

"Whoa!" Teddie was the first to express his shock. "What is _that_?!"

"Tokyo Tower," Yosuke looked up. "Man, I've been here! On the observation deck."

"That's nice," Chie pointed in front of them. "Someone wanted a maze?"

From their spot leaving the cramped buildings behind, they looked out over the wide park that was straddled by the feet of the tower. It was filled with tents and the occasional building or corpse of trees with no clear way forward. "I don't think we can go around," Yukiko said sadly.

They walked into the maze, careful to stay as a group so they wouldn't get lost. "It's quiet," Yu said as they passed through a large army tent.

"You had better not finish that," warned Chie. "Yosuke can."

"Why is that?" Amane asked.

"Uh... have you, like, ever seen a horror movie?"

Amane replied with a stern glare.

"Hold that," Yu held up a hand to stop everyone. "I see more Shadows."

"What are they this time?" Teddie asked.

"Pretty!" Yukiko said. "Flowing dresses... oh, I should try to find out who does their fashion!"

"Do not let that fool you!" Amane snapped. "What one looks like has no bearing on whether they are good or evil, helpful or a hindrance. They are still Shadows!"

"Right!" Yukiko agreed hastily. "Though it is confusing to see Shadows like that."

Amane stabbed a Sarasvati in the chest, the shadow dying as Chie finished the job with a sharp kick. "That's because, as has been pointed out, their forms are drawn from Midori's memories of other Personas."

"Does that mean we might encounter our own Personas here?" Yosuke asked.

"For me, yes." Yu straightened up, then glared at the last shadow. "Jack Frost!" The small white and blue persona flipped into existence in front of Yu and it in turn summoned up a slash of ice to deal the final blow.

They slowly made their way across the camp-filled park, always checking their progress by the tower above them. Into its shadow, the spaces they travelled became more open, though no less confusing to navigate.

"We need a map!" Teddie complained. "My nose can't handle all these twists and turns!"

"He's got a point," Yosuke agreed.

Yukiko objected. "But that won't work! Amane-sama's temple changed when we left after the first time and returned."

"Well, yeah. But I was thinking more for each time we enter, we can keep track of where we've been."

"But if we did that," Yu led them into a tent, which only had a small chest. "All we'd do is be able to find our way back to places we've already been faster." He opened it and inside was some materials that they would be able to sell to Diadara.

"There's nothing wrong with that," defended Yosuke. "I still think it's a good idea, because we can use maps to note where we haven't been in an area, or maybe to discover patterns."

"I agree with his assessment," Amane added. "Even if nothing comes of it, it would be good practice."

"Well," Yu wasn't about to fight with her, "as it was your idea, you can start, Yosuke."

"Hey!" he objected. "I don't have any paper or anything like that!"

"Then bring some next time, you doofus!" Chie called out, slapping him on the shoulder. "I mean, why make the suggestion if you can't back it up?"

"Hey! Don't hit me!" Yosuke ignored the latter for the former. "I mean, come on! I'm trying to be helpful here!"

"If I may distract you all," Amane said as she ignored the physical by-play. "When you were coming to rescue me, how many times did you meet my Shadow?"

"Just the once," Yu replied after a moment's remembering. "At the end, when she turned into Jezebel."

"And did you meet anything else unusual during your trip?"

"Yeah!" Yosuke piped up, eager to regain some pride in himself. "Chie and Yukiko-san's Shadows were waiting, and that was where Midori-sensei revealed she had her own Persona."

"And it seems like Saki-chan only has the one Shadow..." Amane's voice trailed off.

"What are you thinking?" Yu encouraged her to speak her mind.

"I am wondering why Midori's Shadow has confronted us multiple times, and in multiple guises."

That brought conversation to a halt as people tried to piece together what that meant. "Well, what does it say about her Shadow that it's doing that," Teddie finally asked. "Being mean and all that?"

Yukiko opened and closed her fan to help time her thoughts. "Perhaps we're looking at it in the wrong way,"she looked around. "What about us? What is it about our own Shadows that is similar that would make hers different?"

"..."

"Maybe we should talk out loud?" Teddie asked. "I mean, I don't have a Shadow, so I can't help if you're all silent."

"And I never confronted my Shadow, I don't think," Yu recalled a vague memory of a dream in the fog. "But I have the Wild Card." Where would he be, he wondered, if his cousin wasn't around to provide guidance. How much further behind would he be?

"Chie's and mine are tied to each other, our friendship," Yukiko offered. "What about you, Yosuke?"

"Me? Er..." Yosuke didn't want to admit it, but he could see the thread that bound them all together. "I just wanted to be friends with people. With anyone really. Do you have any idea how much hate I get for being who I am? And you, Chie, who gives me the most attention, well, it's all so aggressive! It's not what I want at all!"

"And the Wild Card is based on my connections with other people," Yu admitted out loud. "When I came here, it wasn't to make friends. My parents are just going overseas for a year and I was staying with my uncle. Why would I have tried to talk to anyone when I would just be moving away at the end of the year?"

"Jezebel represents my own ill-conceived notions of how I interacted with other people," admitted Amane. "A controller, not an equal."

Teddie sniffed. "I want a Shadow too so I can be friends with everyone!"

"Don't be an idiot!" Yosuke moved to whack the mascot, but stopped himself. "We can be friends without something like that."

"We can?" Teddie looked up at him with wide eyes. "Really really for sure?"

"Yeah, we can."

"But if that is our common thread," Amane switched back to the topic they were all discussing properly, "what is it about her?"

"Wouldn't you have a better idea? I mean, if the events in Tokyo were about Persona users, and you were there..?" Chie tried to prod her a little bit, but it didn't seem to work.

"I told you before, I was isolated for the most part," Amane reminded them, casting a glance at the fake tower above them. They were almost through. "And I did not see her for quite some time after that."

"She's pushing and pulling," Yukiko concluded after some thought. "She pushes us away from her secrets, even though we are part of them, but she pulls us close as well."

"Not to mention being so passive-aggressive!" Chie chimed in. "She's infuriating!"

Amane knew her friend had her rough points. Everyone did. "Perhaps that is her problem," she said before she knew what it was she was saying. "She has forgotten what is it like to have friends, to be friends, and she is going so many different ways that her Shadow is the same?"

"That... sounds... I don't know," Chie scratched the back of her head. "I don't know!"

"None of us will, until we ask her," Yu admitted. "Or her Shadow."

"Speaking of," Yosuke said from the front of the group, "isn't this where we would normally meet it if this was normal for her?"

The group of six had left the tents behind and crossed over a pedestrian bridge over a road. They had stepped off the bridge and into what appeared to be a dead-end street that was blocked off from the main road. There was a bus to one side, something in its shadow.

"Everyone, on your guard." Yu advanced to the bus, where he saw the figure was leaning up against the side of it, legs out on the ground.

He got closer, then held up his hand to stop everyone. He could see it clearly now. "It's a body," he admitted. "Badly burned."

"What?" Yosuke yelled as Chie and Yukiko reacted by stepping back. Amane and Teddie showed no reaction.

Yu stepped closer and looked at it in more detail. "It's not her," he announced quickly. "It's male. About our height." He didn't touch it. "Burned. Badly."

"How badly?" Amane asked as she stepped closer.

"I'm not a medical practitioner, but I don't see anyone surviving that many burns without spending a lot of time in the hospital." Yu said as he stood up, looking around for the newest version of Midori's Shadow.

But nothing came.

"Is it anyone we know?" Chie asked, worried. "Like, if someone else got in here and got here and then... didn't?"

"No," Yu said firmly.

"Uh guys, I think we're missing the obvious here," Yosuke had worked up the courage to get closer to the burned body. "Frosty uses fire, right?"

"Yes," Amane confirmed their fears. "But the body is not recent. She did not do this."

Yukiko refused to look. "That's good! Can we move on now?"

Yu agreed. "There's no one here to fight, so let's go."

As they walked by, Teddie angled for a closer look, but was stopped when Yosuke grabbed him by the collar. "No," the young man said. "You're not looking, you stupid bear!"

"But I want to see!"

"What for?" demanded Yosuke. "It's a body!"

"I've never seen one," came the retort.

"No!" Yosuke tugged hard on the bear, sending the top-heavy creature flailing backwards. "And that's final."

"But!" Teddie tried to object more, but Yosuke had him off balance enough that he couldn't get closer, instead dragging him away.

The path they followed was a side street, one that they could see ended abruptly in a turn some ways ahead. It was otherwise clear.

"We are almost there," Amane announced as they reached the corner. "There is a tenseness I can feel ahead."

The group trusted the priestess' statement as truth. "You heard her," Yu checked his golf club, noting with some worry that it was starting to be quite battered. "Is everyone ready?"

"Not at 100%," Chie reported. "But I'm fine. Yukiko is too."

"I'm ready, partner," Yosuke covered up his worries with a sense of bravado. "Just say the word."

Amane simply raised her naginata to a ready stance and nodded.

They turned the corner, and the building that _should_ have been in the distance was now right in front of them. "Whoa..!" Yosuke breathed out, looking up. "Damn, is it really that big? I don't remember it being that big."

"Yes," Amane confirmed, "the Towers are that tall from the ground."

"Whoa!" Chie agreed. "So, uh, what happened here?"

"In the parlance of Midori," Amane said, lowering her eyes to check out the open space between them and the front doors, "this is where the final boss was."

"Oh geese, I hope not," Yosuke complained. "I don't think we're that strong."

"Who's that?" Teddie asked, pointing at the base of the building, where the overhang protected people who would drive up and then step out of their vehicles. The sky may have been red, but under there, it was black.

"Another Shadow," Yu warned everyone as they formed a line, Yukiko taking a back seat this time. "Everyone, on your guard!"

Who emerged from the darkness was Midori, skipping along happily as she entered into the light. She was dressed in a while and purple costume, her hair done up in loops, a large bow tied around her back. "The Magical Girl Dolly, present! Ready to dispatch Love and Justice to everyone!"

Amane stepped forward, recognizing the costume she wore that week. "Hello Dolly, we need to see Midori."

Chie's jaw dropped as the younger Midori danced forward, spinning around, glittering in the light. "What... the..!"

Yu couldn't believe his eyes either. "She did say she was a magical girl in her younger days," he said. "I guess this is her."

"Yeah," Yosuke agreed. "Does she have to... bounce so much?" This earned him an elbow from Chie.

"Hold on," Yukiko thought aloud as Amane slowly advanced, "Midori-sensei's magical name is Dolly-chan?"

"Yeah? What of it?" Chie didn't take her eyes of the potentially hostile Shadow.

"Well, it seems like lazy wordplay," Yukiko explained. "You take the first letter – Mi – out of her name, and you're left with Dori. She's using the English pronunciation, where there is more distinction on the last syllable, meaning that 'dori' becomes 'doli'," she took a moment to emphasize the difference, "and then 'doli' becomes the English 'Dolly'."

"Huh," Yosuke was impressed. "I didn't see that at all."

"Dolly," Amane repeated, now close enough to speak and not yell, the others just a little behind her for support, "Where's Midori?"

"I'm right here, duh!" The magical girl spun in place, then frowned. "I heard you beat up Black Frost."

Amane already had a counter ready, playing on the preconceptions that this younger, more foolish version of her friend would have. "We are all heroes, Black Frost and I. It is only natural that we have a spar to compare strength, right?"

"RIGHT!" Dolly approved. "I'm sad that Black Frost lost though."

"He is powerful. Strong enough to be a General," Amane gently said. "But I need to talk to Midori, Dolly. Where is she?"

"I'm protecting her!" Dolly exclaimed. "Who are they?" She pointed past Amane to the others.

"They are friends of me, and of Midori," explained Amane. "Nothing less."

"HE~ey!" Dolly leaned over and waved at them.

"Hi!" Teddie waved back. "I'm Teddie!"

"Hi Teddie!" Dolly skipped past Amane, letting the priestess see her back, "are you the mascot?"

"Of course I am! And not that stupid fox!" Teddie growled. "Me! Just me!"

"Oh, that's too bad. I already have one," apologized Dolly. "His name is Black Frost."

"Aww..." Teddie pouted. "I wanna be the mascot!"

"You are!" Yukiko petted him on the head. "Just for us."

"Midori!" Amane said sharply. "She's in trouble, and we have to rescue her."

Dolly turned to face her. "No, she's not. I'm protecting her!"

"She needs more protection," Amane tried to leverage out some concession from this aspect of Midori. In a way, this was her at her most simple, but not least dangerous. Not by a long shot. This was the Midori who fought demons with no fear. "I am here to help, and I brought friends to help me. Because we are all friends."

"I'm good enough!" Dolly objected, crossing her arms. "I'm the Magical Girl of Love and Justice!"

"Let me talk to her then," Amane pleaded. "So I can see that for myself."

"What? Isn't my word good enough?"

"No, it's not," Yu chose to say. "We're worried for her, and we need to see her for ourselves."

"Oh, fine!" Dolly threw her hands up in surrender. "Come on then, she's inside." The Shadow spun past Amane, and headed for the bleak entryway.

After sharing a glance with everyone else, Amane followed, everyone trailing after her. "Is she at the top?" she asked Dolly.

"Of course! Where else would she be?"

"What's at the top?" Yu asked.

"Babel!" Dolly replied.

"And what's that? Or who?" Yosuke followed up.

"Nothing you need to concern yourselves with," Amane ended that line of inquiry harshly. "It is a memory, nothing more."

The group followed Dolly into an elevator, who pressed the only button in it. The doors closed, the the small room shot up, higher and higher for nearly a minute before slowing down and reaching the top.

Yosuke pulled open the door, and stepped out first before Dolly pushed past him and started skipping down the corridor that could not have fit into the building due to its direction and length. At the far end was a pair of doors that Dolly waited for them in front of. Amane and Yu arrived first, followed by Chie and Yukiko, then Teddie and Yosuke. Satisfied, Dolly pushed open the doors and stepped into the room beyond.

Amane recognized it as the Server room, but without the image of the Babel itself dominating everything. Instead, they saw Midori laying at the bottom of the stairs, arms crossed over her chest, breathing gently.

"Midori!" Yu called out, circling around to her. Amane took the other side, followed by the other girls as Yosuke and Teddie followed Yu. "Midori?"

"See!" Dolly called out from the door. "She's fine! And safe! No one will ever hurt her here."

Yu got to her first and knelt down, checking her pulse with two fingers. "She's good," he said as Amane knelt by her head and leaned over it.

"Wake up," she whispered gently, slapping Midori's cheek. It wasn't a hard strike, just one to bring her back to the world around her. "You have to wake up now."

"See?" Dolly said, getting a little more agitated. "She's fine! You can leave now! No one will ever hurt her."

"We have to take her back," Yu said, standing. He trusted Amane with rousing the real Midori. "Back outside, into the real world. She's needed there."

Dolly looked at him, confused. "What are you talking about? No one knows her."

"We do! At school, her friends. At home, her family."

"No!" Dolly objected. "She hasn't been out in years!"

"Days," Yosuke corrected the Shadow. "She's only been in here for days."

"Oh you silly boy!" Dolly spun around gratuitously before pointing a finger at him. "She's been here for a long time! I got to get out and play, and so did Black Frost, and the Queen started coming around too, and she got her turn." Dolly frowned. "She's gotten a lot of time recently."

Behind them, Midori opened her eyes, and saw Amane's face close to hers. "Hey," she said quietly. "Are you crying?"

"No," objected Amane. "I'm worried for you. We need to get you out of here."

"Huh?" Midori leaned up and looked around in confusion. "Where am I?"

"GO BACK TO SLEEP!" Dolly screamed out, eyes wide with fear. "GO BACK!"

Midori turned to look at the Shadow, confusion rippling across her face. "Who are you?"

"I'm you! I'm me! I'm Dolly!"

"No," the real Midori replied. "I'm... I'm me. Not you."

"NO! NO! NO!" Dolly threw a tantrum, kicking the floor with each word. "Just go back to sleep!"

"I can't!" Midori said, trying to stand. She didn't have the strength, so Amane helped her up. "I have to go... they need me."

Dolly kept yelling. "No! They don't! We can handle it! Me and Black Frost and the Queen!"

"What are you talking about?" Midori sounded tired, as though she hadn't woken up yet.

"You weren't having any fun!" Dolly cried out. "That's why I got to go out! And then Black Frost was needed to beat up the bad guys, and I still got to play and have fun! Then the Queen showed up, and she got to run things, and I don't get out as much."

"What are you talking about?" Chie asked in confusion. "Midori is Midori!"

"No! She's not!" Dolly advanced on the humans and bear. "You got what you came for, now leave her alone! Leave me alone! She doesn't need to wake up. She doesn't need to see the world. She won't have any fun. She won't believe in love or justice!"

Yu took a guess. "You're lying."

"How would you know?" Dolly crossed her arms triumphantly. "You've never met her."

"Yes, we have." Yukiko objected. "She's a respectable woman."

"That's the Queen!" Dolly pointed out snidely.

Amane and Midori slowly worked their way around to the front of the room, but Amane was careful to keep the others between the real and the Shadow. "Who are you?" Midori asked.

"I'm Dolly!"

Midori shook her head. "No, you can't be. I dressed up as you. That costume is in my closet."

"I'm real!"

"No, you can't be." Midori repeated, gaining some energy in the process. "You're just.. a part of me. One that I left behind a long time ago."

"NO! NO! NO!"

"Yes!" Yu said firmly. "You're just a Shadow that only thinks it's real."

"Shut UP!"

"Midori," Amane whispered to her, "you have to help. It's like the others, that we can't win by fighting against."

"I don't know who she is..." Midori whispered back. "She's not me. Not anymore."

"See! She knows!" Dolly eagerly pointed out. "Just go back to sleep and no one will ever be the wiser."

"We will know," Chie didn't like the idea of dealing with this... thing any more. "She's flawed, and arrogant and all that, but she's still _real_!"

"No! She's not! And there's nothing you can say to prove it!"

"Why are you real?" Yu asked. "Can you prove that you're what you say you are?"

"I'm Dolly!" the Shadow said, as though it were proof enough.

"Not good enough."

Waving a lazy hand in the direction of the Shadow, Midori found the strength to speak clearly. "You're nothing but a dress I put on, and wore for a week straight. Give it up."

"SHUT UP!" Dolly broke and charged at Midori, only to be intercepted by a kick from Chie.

"Hey! You don't get to hit her!" the young martial artist said as she returned to her ready stance. "You got to get through us first!"

The fight was on, and Midori slumped, losing energy. Amane shifted her grip, and knelt the two of them down to better support her. "Midori!" she hissed. "You have to focus! This thing is just a shadow of yourself."

"It's right, you know," Midori didn't look up. She looked down, not focusing on anything. "I don't feel like I've been me for a long time. Every time something happens, I have to change to something else. Someone else. I'm just moving and..! And..!"

"shhh," Amane cradled her gently, aware of the differences between them. "You're you. Think of something that is yours, and yours alone, and tell me what it is."

"Why? What does it matter?"

Away from them, the four humans fought against Dolly, a whirlwind of conflict that Amane found hard to watch. Not when Midori – the real one – needed her. "It matters because it means it's something that makes you real. Something that is yours and not that thing's."

"I don't want to think about it," Midori said, slumping. "Can't I just go home?"

 _Home_. Amane saw a thin thread and pulled. "Your father is waiting for you," she said. "Go home and embrace him. No one else knows him."

"I... do you know my daddy?" Midori asked. "I thought I did. But then I moved away because of things, and when I came back, I was different. He was different. We... are we even father and daughter any more? What happened?"

"I wouldn't know," Amane replied. "But I know you still have a father who loves you. Who worries for you, and wants only what is best for you."

"I don't know that!" Midori nearly cried. "I see him, maybe three days a month!"

Amane pulled harder. "And what about Nanako? What about your little sister?"

"She's not!"

"Yes! She is! She loves you like no other, adores you as only family can!"

"She has a father!"

"She has you! A sister to be there for her! Who cares if you're not related! You _chose_ to accept her into your life, and that was your choice alone! No one told you to. No one forced you to," she repeated what the 'Queen' and Black Frost had said – that no one could tell them what to do. And Amane believed them. She believed wholeheartedly that there was no force in the universe or beyond that could command Midori. "That is what makes you you. The choices you make. And you chose her."

"I did?"

"You did, out of love," Amane found her ploy working, and worked harder at it. "You chose all these things. You chose to fight for something no one else considered that week, and maybe the mask you put on took on a life of its own, but you still chose that. You chose to always rise to the challenges that faced you, no matter who or what created them. So why stop now? Why not...?"

She backtracked, realizing how she could focus Midori onto the Shadow. "Why are you going to sit here and let her," the Shadow, "tell you what to do? Tell you to close your eyes and walk away. That's not you. Not you at all."

Midori pushed Amane back without strength, yet the older priestess let her have her room. With empty strength that came from will alone, Midori stood, faltered on one bent knee, then reaffirmed her stance. She looked up and saw Dolly fighting against the others, a combat style that wasn't _style_ at all, but hers all the same. She knew the moves that were meant to fight those who weren't human, and even those who were.

It was hers.

She stepped past Yukiko, Konohana Sakuya blocking her view for the vital fraction of a second. Yosuke had no clue as he hopped back, away from the Shadow and past her. Yu and Chie saw, but they could do nothing before Midori leaped at Dolly.

Midori landed on her Shadow, no attack made, instead wrapping her in a hug from behind. "I art thou," she whispered.

"No you're not!" Dolly tried to free herself, but two years gave Midori a real strength over her imagination of the past.

"I art thou," Midori repeated, holding on even as her Shadow started to falter. "And thou art I. I am you and you are me. I don't know who you are, but you don't know who I am either, do we? Alone and lost, trying to be without letting others decide for us."

"Let me go!" Dolly said as she stopped fighting, tears starting to form in my eyes. "You aren't having any fun!"

"I know that now," Midori admitted. "I'm not fun. I stopped, and that was wrong. I don't remember love and justice, even as I was loved. I tried to lead to prove I wasn't wrong. I art thou..."

"And thou art I," Dolly said, relaxing.

"Can you help me? Please? To be me?" Midori whispered, just for the two of them. "I'm lost, and so are you."

"I don't know what will happen," Dolly whispered back, golden eyes closed. "There is something here."

"And whatever it is tried to tell us what to do," Midori agreed. "And that deserves punishment."

"I art thou."

"And thou art I."

Dolly dissolved into nothingness, and Midori found strength in her body once again. She also felt more tired than she could ever recall. But there was something to do first. Before she could sleep, and wake as herself. Putting a fist over her heart, she tried to remember what it was like, but where memory failed, instinct did not.

"MANNEQUIN!"


End file.
